CANTON — The murder trial of Keith J. Bjork has been adjourned to next year.

The trial, which was scheduled for Monday, has been moved to Jan. 22.

Bjork, 50, of 192 Center St., Massena, is charged in the second-degree murder of his 50-year-old roommate. He pleaded not guilty during his Dec. 15 arraignment.

The indictment charges that on Oct. 27, in the village of Massena, Bjork intentionally killed Dumar Buckner by blunt force trauma.

Former St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties district attorney Gary W. Miles was appointed special prosecutor following the disqualification of D.A. Mary E. Rain’s office due to a conflict.

In 2010, Ms. Rain represented Bjork in a criminal contempt case and it only just came to the surface when Bjork announced it during a suppression hearing.

WATERTOWN — For the fourth consecutive year, CitiBus riders can catch a bus on Sundays that takes them to several popular retailers along outer Arsenal Street during the holiday season.

Starting Dec. 3, CitiBus will add a special route that offers runs to Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Petco, Kohl’s and Hannaford on four Sundays.

City Council members unanimously agreed on Monday to bring back the Sunday holiday schedule, even though it lost money each year that it was offered.

The four-week Sunday schedule will run until Christmas Eve.

The Sunday bus runs will start a little earlier than previous years so that riders can get to church, said Eugene P. Hayes, the city’s superintendent of public works, who oversees the CitiBus public transit system.

“We want to see how we can maximize ridership,” he said, adding that buses will run from 8:20 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. during the four-week holiday run.

In previous years, the runs began at 9:40 a.m. and ended at 5:40 p.m. By selecting those hours, only one bus and one driver are needed each Sunday, Mr. Hayes said. Riders requested the new hours. The new hours are also based on the actual ridership figures, Mr. Hayes said.

Council members have said the Sunday holiday buses help increase sales tax revenues and provides a service to riders.

Last year, about 700 riders took advantage of the Sunday bus route. It will cost the city about $8,000 to provide it, Mr. Hayes said. Last holiday season, the bus system lost about that amount.

It will have the same fare — $1.50 for adults and 50 cents for children and half that amount for eligible riders — as the other routes. Transfers will be available. Monthly passes can also be used.

As required by federal law, the city’s paratransit service for handicapped riders also will be offered during those times, Mr. Hayes said, adding that only 16 riders used it for the entire five weeks.

The unemployment rates in October for Jefferson and Lewis counties dropped from the same time last year, but remained flat in St. Lawrence County.

According to statistics released Nov. 21 by the state Department of Labor, Jefferson County last month had a rate of 5.4 percent, down from 5.7 percent last October. The jobless rate last month in Lewis County was 5.2 percent, down from the same time last year when it was 5.7 percent.

St. Lawrence County, however, had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent in October, the same rate as the same month last year.

The jobless rates in Lewis and St. Lawrence counties decreased slightly from their September rates when they were 5.3 and 5.8 percent, respectively. The unemployment rate in Jefferson County, however, was slightly up from September when it was 5.3 percent.

Statewide, the October unemployment rate fell from 4.8 percent last year to 4.6 percent, and nationwide, the rate fell from 4.7 percent to 3.9 percent.

All state parks will have free admission today, state officials announced.

“On Black Friday this year I urge New Yorkers to get outside and to take advantage of the world-class parks in every corner of this state,” said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, in a provided statement. “By offering free admission, we encourage families, nature-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike to enjoy the unparalleled natural beauty right in their backyards.”

Though most parks do not charge at this time of year, every state park will waive their standard vehicle entry fee for the day.

State officials also touted the annual Empire Pass Card, which is on sale for $65 through March 31 and offers family sharing capacities. There are also three-year, five-year and Lifetime passes that are sold at www.parks.ny.gov.

WATERTOWN — One volunteer said it was “God’s will” for her to spend her Thanksgiving delivering meals for the Watertown Salvation Army.

Summer Drop-in Center Director Lisa A. Safford said the organization had delivered or served take-out meals, to over 200 people by 12:30 on Thursday afternoon. The meal was served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army’s 723 State St. location.

Mrs. Safford, who has been volunteering with the organization for 13 years, said it was “nice to know people aren’t thinking only of themselves and what they have today, and that they’re thinking of others.”

Along with the 200 meals delivered or taken out, social worker Lena M. Parker said that over 120 people had been served in the Salvation Army dining hall, “not including second helpings.”Guests had plenty of opportunities for second helpings thanks to the 1,500 pounds of food which had been donated by Renzi Foodservice.

Volunteers had been preparing the food since Nov. 17, cooking eight turkeys per day. Soup kitchen manager Melody A. Eamer said 22 turkeys, each 24 pounds, were received from Renzi’s and 12 cooked birds from Jefferson-Lewis BOCES.

“It’s been crazy,” Mrs. Eamer said, “but a good kind of crazy.” To cook the turkeys, she said, volunteers would “get here at 6 a.m. and not leave til 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon.”

The meals included turkey, potatoes, bread, stuffing, fresh fruit and vegetables and a variety of desserts. Social worker Mrs. Parker said two dozen pumpkin pies had been donated, along with peach, apple and blueberry.

Mrs. Parker said there was no shortage of volunteers — at least 20 more than she expected.

“I was counting on 80 volunteers this year, but we’ve actually got 100. If someone wants to come by and help, we won’t turn them away,” she said.

Mrs. Safford said she had seen a mix of old and new volunteers at this year’s event. Some people, like Mrs. Eamer, bring their families to help. She said her son, brother, and fiancé had all come by to volunteer.

“I love it here, and I love serving people. Sometimes we’re the only smile our guests may see today, so I always tell the volunteers to put on their best smiles,” Mrs. Eamer said.

Mrs. Parker said the atmosphere of closeness and happiness is important for events like the Thanksgiving dinner.

“It’s nice for everyone to feel like they’re part of a family,” she said.

The Watertown Salvation Army has been hosting its Thanksgiving dinner for more than 25 years, and serves hot meals six days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, and as families come together for the winter holidays, many experts say it’s the perfect time to talk about end-of-life wishes.

Alzheimer’s affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making it the sixth leading cause of death among adults. Symptoms of the irreversible, progressive brain disease typically don’t occur before the age of 60, but can present themselves unexpectedly much sooner.

It’s characterized by the destruction of brain function, including loss of memory, language difficulty, confusion and depression ­­— which is one of the reasons it’s important to have medical and end-of-life care conversations with loved ones early on.

“The biggest thing is to talk about it. It’s not always a comfortable conversation, which is why it’s important to talk about it before something happens,” Barbara Morrow, vice president for long-term care at Samaritan’s Summit Village, said of planning for one’s final years. “Get a financial plan when you’re not under stress, not after.”

She also believes in designated health care proxies, filling out Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments and getting one’s wishes down on paper, even if it doesn’t feel pressing.

Dr. Gary R. Berk, chairman of family practice at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, recommended designating someone to have the legal right to make decisions on the aging person’s behalf.

“The job of a health care proxy is to put themselves in the shoes of the sick person and try to make the decision the sick person would if they were of full mind,” Dr. Berk explained in September.

The CDC found that Americans fear the loss of their mental capabilities twice as much as the loss of physical abilities. In 2017, total payments for health care, long-term care and hospice for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are estimated to be $259 billion.

While only a third of adults have completed written advance directives that spell out wishes for care or designate a health care proxy, research shows advance care planning increases the chance that a person’s medical and end-of-life wishes will be fulfilled.

“The more planning you do before you’re in crisis, the better,” Andrea M. Montgomery, St. Lawrence County’s Office for the Aging director, told The Times in September. “A lot of times, people don’t think about end-of-life care until a catastrophe has happened and someone’s in the hospital. Then it’s difficult because you’re already dealing with your loved one being ill.”

Besides advanced care planning, choosing a power of attorney, having a will in place and pre-planning your funeral are other tasks that can be handled before a crisis hits, Mrs. Montgomery said.

Keeping insurance policies, wills and other paperwork in an organized file is also important.

The good news this month, beyond good food and family, is that advances are being made against Alzheimer’s and other degenerative disease. While there is still no cure, a new, simpler blood test was developed this year to detect the disease early on, and research has found growing evidence that a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise might reduce one’s risk of ever developing Alzheimer’s.

There’s no easy way to talk about aging and death, but there are several online resources to start the conversation. Aging With Dignity offers an easy “Five Wishes” planning template, while The Conversation Project has starter kits for getting the talk going.

OGDENSBURG — The opening of several new businesses in the heart of Ogdensburg could represent a new beginning for the community’s downtown district, according to local real estate agent and businesswoman Rhonda Roethel.

Ms. Roethel, owner of America 1 Realty, is on a mission to transform the community, one business at a time, if needed.

In recent weeks, she has taken on the job of trying to market the former Ogdensburg cinema, a theater closed since 2012. The theater, at the corner of Ford and State streets, is owned by Gilbert Jones, and is being offered for $69,900.

But simply finding a buyer for the theater is not Ms. Roethel’s long-term goal.

Her long-term hope is to find an investor not only willing to make the upgrades needed to reopen the theater — but someone equally committed to helping revive the city’s downtown corridor.

“I’ve had nine showings in a week, and I’ve told everybody that I have brought through here that I don’t want to take an offer until you’ve done your homework and made sure everything is right,” Ms. Roethel said. “Because you are not only going to disappoint yourself, but you are going to disappoint the city. So I’ve been telling people that if you buy this, and then realize you can’t do this, it is just going to sit vacant again.”

Reopening the downtown cinema will require an investment on the part of the new buyer, but part of that investment may potentially be offset by development grants that might be available, according to Ms. Roethel. She said new digital upgrades would be needed and the current two-theater configuration would most likely be reconfigured into four smaller multiplex theaters.

“All of the other theaters in the area are multiplex,” she said. “Massena has 10 and the one in Potsdam has five and I think the one in Canton has five.”

Ms. Roethel points to two new restaurants that have opened downtown in recent weeks — The Blind Pig Bistro and Cam’s Pizzeria — as examples of new business lights brightening downtown. Add those eateries to the well-established Little Italy Pizzeria, also on State Street, and Phillip’s Diner on Ford Street, and Ms. Roethel sees new promise as downtown as a destination for families.

“It’s nice to come downtown at night and see restaurant lights,” Ms. Roethel said.

Other businesses that have recently located downtown in Ogdensburg or are planning a move include the Simplicity Salon, also on State Street and a multi-million-dollar renovation of the old Filtran company space on Ford Street. The 15,000-square-foot building is being renovated by Community Health Center of the North Country.

All of the businesses are near or adjacent to the former Ogdensburg cinema building.

Ms. Roethel hopes finding the right buyer for the theater property can continue the small but noticeable economic development trend taking root in downtown Ogdensburg.

“The people that have looked at the building so far have had all kinds of good ideas,” Ms. Roethel said. “Some of them have talked about having parties, or serving food or making a deal with the restaurants next door. There are a lot of good ideas circulating around.”

The cinema complex has two theaters for a total of 440 seats.

“I still have people coming in from a way to look at it, but they won’t be here for a couple of weeks,” she said.

POTSDAM — Charles M. Gerrish is 97, but he decided to try something new for Thanksgiving this year — attending the Trinity Episcopal Church community dinner.

“This is my very first time,” he said. He had come to find a friend, to whom he was supposed to be giving a ride. He could not find the friend, but decided to stay anyway for the meal.

“I found all this food here, but he’s not here,” Mr. Gerrish said. “But I didn’t have any plans for going to dinner.”

Trinity Episcopal, located on Fall Island, hosts a free community dinner every fourth Thursday of the month. In November, that coincides with Thanksgiving, and so they have been offering a Thanksgiving community dinner every year for over a decade.

“We never know how many people will come,” said Mary E. Van Leuven, who organized the dinner. “The people really like it ... it’s kind of a family atmosphere.”

PACES Dining Service at SUNY Potsdam donates the turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes, while members of the church bring everything else, including home-baked pies. They also serve the meal.

“It’s nice here, when all the community members come,” said Anna Hardiman, a sophomore at Houghton College whose family attends Trinity Episcopal, and who had been recruited to wash dishes after the meal. Ms. Hardiman had brought a fellow sophomore home for the holiday, Penina Puyu, who is from Bangladesh. While it was only her second Thanksgiving in the United States, Ms. Puyu had already formed a strong opinion of the holiday.

“I love Thanksgiving — it’s all my favorite foods in one place,” Ms. Puyu said.

As for washing the dishes, “it’s part of the charm, right?” said Owen Hardiman, Anna’s brother.

For Trinity Episcopal, these community dinners serve as part of their outreach and ministry.

“It’s the time when we open the doors and all sorts and conditions of people are here, and they’re enjoying themselves, and they feel welcome,” said Father Christopher A. Brown, rector of Trinity Episcopal. “It feels like what we should be doing.”

For the Rev. Mr. Brown, the community Thanksgiving has its roots in both the tradition of the secular holiday and the roots of the church.

“It resembles more the icon of the first Thanksgiving more than Thanksgiving at home — it’s a communal celebration,” he said. “And it’s a way the church can serve the community and be a witness to Christ.”

For Mr. Gerrish, the community dinner was a chance to get some good food in a different setting.

“I’m usually kind of a loner,” he said. “The world I probably live in is called McDonald’s. I join a bunch of old men and old women to share our complaints.”

For this Thanksgiving, Mr. Gerrish was instead telling stories about the store he had run for 42 years, Unique Emporium, encouraged by his friend Bill Ramsey.

“I was selling everything,” Mr. Gerrish said. “Amongst the things I sold was a well-digging machine, pianos galore, all kinds of musical instruments. Hippie clothing — during the Woodstock days I was a big star.”

For many of the volunteers, this mingling of community members, churchgoers, students and more is the point of the Thanksgiving dinner.

“When you look around, it’s a really diverse group,” said Anne M. Sibley, who was helping serve the meal. “It means a lot to me. That’s what I think Thanksgiving is about, that’s what I think the church is about, helping the community.”

POTSDAM — After the village Board of Trustees approved bids for improvements to the 48-year-old wastewater treatment plant, Trustee Stephen J. Warr voiced his displeasure with the village engineering consultant, Barton & Loguidice, which, along with the Development Authority of the North Country, consulted with the village on the project.

Mr. Warr’s complaint was that Barton & Loguidice underestimated the cost of the project, causing the village to have to add over $5 million to the bond and losing fellow trustee Nicholas J. Sheehan’s family company one of the bids.

“They grossly underestimated what the project was going to cost,” Mr. Warr said before voting to approve the bids. “And by not doing their due diligence they cost a local company a $1.4 million part of the job. And I think that falls on their shoulders.”

Mr. Sheehan works for J.E. Sheehan Contracting Corp., which submitted the lowest bid for the ventilation and heating work on the wastewater treatment plant. Mr. Sheehan was concerned about the possible legal issues voting for the bond increase, which might be used to pay for the bid by Sheehan Contracting. So he consulted the village attorney.

The village attorney said that, in fact, there was an indirect monetary interest, as Mr. Sheehan’s parents owned shares in Sheehan Contracting. Because of this, awarding the bid to Sheehan Contracting would be illegal, even if Mr. Sheehan recused himself from the vote.

“I wasn’t aware there was any conflict,” Mr. Sheehan said. “I looked it up myself, and I had to really, really look for the conflict.” After finding this conflict, Mr. Sheehan says he withdrew the Sheehan Contracting bid, after consulting with Barton & Loguidice.

“I don’t blame B&L, I don’t blame DANC,” Mr. Sheehan said. “I just made the decision” to withdraw.

Still, Mr. Sheehan expressed regret over the conflict. At the beginning of the process, he said he consulted with another law firm that was not overly familiar with the relevant laws, and it had told him there was no conflict.

“I wouldn’t have been on the board if I’d known there was a conflict,” Mr. Sheehan said. “That bid was two miles from my office.”

Carrie Tuttle, director of engineering for the Development Authority of the North Country, said that while small municipalities often had local business people on their boards, she had not encountered this specific scenario before.

“I have never run into a situation where board members work for a construction company,” she said, adding she had limited expertise on the legal conflict.

“This is a legal issue, not a technical issue,” Ms. Tuttle said.

As for the issue of the contracts coming in well over the initial estimate, Ms. Tuttle said this has been a common issue. According to her, the village of Carthage re-bid a wastewater improvement project three times, each time ending up with a more expensive proposal.

According to her, the lack of contractors and the large number of jobs available is driving up prices, as is consolidation in construction suppliers.

“It’s a complex process. There’s a lot to it,” Ms. Tuttle said.

EVANS MILLS — A Fort Drum soldier claims he was racially profiled by local law enforcement, with one officer pointing a gun at him and his friends as police investigated what was initially described as a large fight and gunshots early Sunday morning around South Main Street.

“Once he pulled out the gun, I honestly feared for my life,” said D’Lawrence A. Williams, a Fort Drum soldier who lives at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

However, some law enforcement officials said Mr. Williams and his friend, who are black, matched a general description of potential suspects at the scene of the incident. They said the initial call was for two black males, one with a dark hoodie and one with a gray hoodie.

Mr. Williams and a friend were detained and questioned for more than a hour, and later released without any charges.

“We don’t arbitrarily grab people and force people to the ground,” said Steven Wood, officer in charge of the Antwerp Police Department, which had one of its officers at the scene. “They had the description of two people, and they fit the description — they’re going to be detained.”

A video of the encounter recorded by Mr. Williams’ friend and posted on his Facebook page has been viewed more than 65,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon and shared hundreds of times.

It is not clear which officer from which department had their weapon drawn.

The encounter took place about 12:30 a.m. Sunday as the initial call went out about a fight involving as many as 200 people and gunshots in the area. That call drew a large response from personnel with the state police, the Black River/Evans Mills Police Department, Antwerp Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Watertown City Police and even U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Mr. Williams, an Army specialist who works in satellite communications, parked in the area with three of his friends about 12:50 a.m., with plans of going to the nearby John Hoover Inn.

As they crossed the street, Mr. Williams said he was confronted by an officer who ordered him to the ground.

“The officer could have just came to us, and asked us questions,” he said. “I was being treated like I was a criminal.”

He disputed that law enforcement there had a description of potential suspects.

“They didn’t have a description,” Mr. Williams said. “They didn’t even know what the suspect looked like.”

Video shared by Mr. Williams on his Facebook page shows law enforcement standing over Mr. Williams and his friend, with one officer pointing their weapon at the pair. Protests from Mr. Williams’ friends that were caught on camera, in which they offer photos and videos of the group at a separate location earlier that night, appear to be dismissed by officers. Mr. Williams said he heard other people nearby tell officers he and his friend were not in the area of the incident when it happened.

The two were handcuffed, then taken to a nearby police car.

State police spokesman Jack Keller said Tuesday that when police arrived at the home at 8450 S. Main St., they could not confirm any reports of a fight or of a gun being used.

“We checked the area for any shots fired, any damage — there wasn’t any shell casings in the area,” he said.

Trooper Keller said the state police investigation into the incident determined that there was no evidence of a crime, and that their investigation is closed.

Officer Wood, a police officer since 1994, acknowledged “anybody would be shaken” by having a gun drawn on them. He also said the length of their detainment was likely a result of the number of people nearby.

“If there were two people involved, you could get it cleared in minutes,” he said. “It was such a melee, unfortunately, it took a few more minutes to determine what was going on.”

Despite what happened to him, Mr. Williams said he still has hopes of working in law enforcement in the future, preferably near his hometown of Detroit, Mich., when he gets out of the Army in December.

Mr. Williams said he did not have any plans to file a lawsuit against the departments at the scene, but instead wanted to talk with staff involved with training.

“I think the police officers here are well trained,” he said. “There’s always the bad apple somewhere. I felt like we got the bad apple that night.”

Video shared by Mr. Williams can be seen at http://wdt.me/evansmills-scene.

WATERTOWN — Gregory Eliopoulos was the kind of city employee who drove into work in the middle of the night after a co-worker called him for help.

Mr. Eliopoulos, 54, showed that kind of commitment and devotion on Monday night when he died in a workplace accident at the city wastewater treatment plant, his family said.

“He always wanted to help everyone,” his stepdaughter Autumn Adams said Wednesday night.

Friends and family members gathered the night before Thanksgiving to grieve together and pay tribute to the man who found his niche working for the city for the past 10 years.

On Thursday, family members also came together at his brother-in-law’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Despite his loss, his wife, Kim, stressed they still have a lot to be thankful for.

They are thankful for “all the good things” that her husband, the patriarch of the family, did for them over the years, Mrs. Eliopoulos said.

“We’re a very spiritual family,” Mrs. Adams said.

They are remembering him as a man who loved his Harley-Davidson, his pet dogs, building things in his workshop, telling inappropriate jokes — and, most importantly, his family.

Together since 2000, Mr. and Mrs. Eliopoulos enjoyed going on long rides together on his Harley Dyna Glide, especially for charity runs. His Harley meant so much to him the family chose the funeral’s floral arrangements to feature the motorcycle’s familiar orange, black, white and silver.

Other than his family, there was nothing that he cared about more than his 13-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Sugar, who died exactly a month before Mr. Eliopoulos, Mrs. Adams said. Until then, they were inseparable.

When Sugar died, it was only the second time that Mrs. Adams had seen him cry.

“We know that they are together again,” Mrs. Adams said, noting that her stepfather had a fondness for adopting rescue dogs.

He also spent a lot of his time in his backyard workshop, where he made bookshelves, blanket racks out of an old ladder, a coffee table and the family’s 500-pound dining room table.

During all of their time together, the couple lived in the childhood home of Mrs. Eliopoulos, a former 1850s farmhouse on Burton Road. Over the years, the couple worked together on renovating the home that now features a rustic wood motif.

Mrs. Eliopoulos recalled how her husband, a trained electrician, once forgot to turn off the power while demolishing a wall, causing a small electrical fire. She joked he never did that again.

“He used to say he was a jack of all trades and the master of none,” she said.

After bouncing around a few jobs, he found his place at the city’s wastewater treatment plant on W.T. Field Drive, where he was known to help his younger coworkers, family members said.

Mr. Eliopoulos — a 1981 Watertown High School graduate who grew up in the Sand Flats neighborhood of Watertown — was hired in 2007. Working with a close-knit group of guys, he was as a process worker there.

“He found something he flourished at and he did well at it,” his wife said. “He was doing something important.”

On Monday night, he was helping a young coworker, James Burke, when some equipment malfunctioned. Still stinging from what happened, the family didn’t want to talk about the accident.

Public Employee Safety and Health is investigating the accident. Local officials said Wednesday it might take some time for investigators to finish.

His wife stressed that family want to thank Mr. Burke for being there for her husband — for being at his side when he needed help.

But the family isn’t asking why he died.

“There has to be a reason,” Mrs. Adams said. “That’s how we’re looking at it.”

A private funeral service for Mr. Eliopoulos will be held Monday.

To help with funeral costs, the family has arranged a GoFundMe account at http://wdt.me/mRWJhd.

Holidays are a time of celebration for most Americans, but for those struggling to keep food on the table, it can be a time of great stress.

Over 15 million American households struggled with food security in 2016, including 83.5 percent of those with children. Households with children were far more likely to struggle with food security, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

The USDA defines food insecurity as being “uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of household members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food.”

While areas like the southern United States face a more widespread problem, it is not an issue alien to Jefferson County. In school districts like South Jefferson and Watertown, backpack programs were created to alleviate the stress some face at mealtimes.

South Jefferson’s program began in 2010, after Food Services Manager Cindy A. Overton overheard a student tell a friend their last meal had been their school lunch, and not one eaten at home. The South Jeff Backpack Program was at first only available to students who also receive free or reduced-price lunches.

Mrs. Overton, along with Program Chairman Fred L. Morris and Treasurer Donna L. Stevens, have since been able to expand the program to any student who may “need help.”

“I think every school district has this need,” Mr. Morris said. “I think the need has grown, and I’d say a lot of it is tied to the economy.” Mr. Morris, who retired from manufacturing, said he has mostly noticed an increase in families he refers to as “working poor.”

“These are people who make, say, $10 too much to receive assistance,” he said. The backpacks are now available to any South Jefferson parent who fills out an application, regardless of their child’s free/reduced lunch status.

The backpacks are filled with food purchased from the Central New York Food Bank, and 46 are sent out every Friday.

Mr. Morris and Mrs. Stevens also include recipes to help families make the most of the food. It’s nonperishable and typically includes peanut butter and jelly, tuna, pasta and instant noodles.

“We try to be aware of the nutrition, and so we have had to adjust our purchases before when we found that something was too high in sodium or fat,” Mr. Morris said.

And around the holidays, the backpacks get some extra attention.

“We want that meal to feel as complete as possible. We try to include mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, things like that. We also send home a Tops gift card and a milk card from Stewart’s.”

Mr. Morris said he and Mrs. Stevens try to include more in a backpack sent home over a holiday break because students are away from school — a stable source of food — for longer.

South Jeff students who receive the backpacks may be given them by their bus driver, or parents may stop by the school and pick them up. Mr. Morris said he sometimes stops by the junior/senior high school building, where the pantry is located, even in the middle of a vacation for those who need backpacks.

He recalled one Easter break when he had come to open the pantry.

“A woman came here with her three kids,” Mr. Morris said, “and we chatted a little and I got her squared away. There were some leftover Easter baskets still, with candy in them, and they were gifts for the kids. One little boy gave me a hug, and said that was his gift to me.”

Food pantry operators in rural school districts like South Jeff — which has 1,967 students — face different challenges than those in urban areas like Watertown. The two backpack programs are not affiliated; the program in the South Jefferson district is an independent 501(c)(3) charity.

The Watertown City School District’s backpack program sends home about 100 bags each week, according to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Stacey J. Eger. The backpack program there is also partnered with the Central New York Food Bank, as well as the United Way of Northern New York.

For Watertown students who walk to and from school, extra consideration must be taken when packing their bags.

“We have to be conscious of the weight of the bag. It can’t be more than 15 percent of the student’s body weight,” Ms. Eger said. Like South Jefferson, the Watertown backpack program makes nutrition a goal in packing students’ bags.

“Cornell Cooperative Extension is helpful in determining what goes into the bags. We try to be mindful of the nutrition of everything we pack.” With its holiday bags, the Watertown backpack program includes brochures with recipes for that week’s items. Ms. Eger said that the school district tries to make families aware of holiday meals at community centers and churches.

“Even if it may seem like there is access to these resources, there can sometimes be a kind of gap between access and awareness,” she said.

Children who struggle with hunger often face problems both in and outside of school. Kathleen Stress, executive director of the Central New York Food Bank, said that “when a child struggles with hunger, studies show that they have trouble focusing, learning and developing. Families struggling with hunger typically have multiple issues or challenges to deal with that make life more complex than we can imagine.”

The Salvation Army’s Watertown location is one place where families facing food insecurity might get a holiday meal. Maj. Karen D. Smullen said her post sent out about 500 meal deliveries on Thanksgiving, most being to those unable to leave their homes.

But families often stop by for holiday meals as well, including those with children. Last Friday, Watertown resident Shauna came to the Salvation Army’s kitchen with her mother Cheri, and three daughters.

Even with multiple adults in a household, Ms. Stress said it’s not uncommon for families to require assistance.

Of the people who may use food banks, Ms. Stress said that “Most receive assistance through SNAP, but since those food funds are supplemental, it only helps to cover a portion of their monthly food bills. So they turn to our partner agencies (food pantries and soup kitchens) to help supplement what foods they are able to purchase with SNAP and their own food dollars.”

Shauna, 30, said she and her family have been coming to the kitchen almost every day for two years. At the time, she had just lost her job as a home health aide. Cheri, 48, said she currently receives worker’s compensation for an injury suffered at her factory job.

Major Smullen said unexpected expenses or loss of income, like Cheri and Shauna experienced, can financially press families with already tight budgets.

“You may suddenly find that the money you were going to use for food is gone now. Even something like having a child home from school can be a challenge. Because they would have eaten two meals at school, the cost of those meals now has to get taken out of the family budget,” Major Smullen said.

Ms. Stress of the Central New York Food Bank said that there are a myriad of factors that can affect a family’s food security. Around Christmas, there is “pressure of gifts for family/children, and children on school break; winter is the increased cost of utilities for heating homes.”

A total of 56.2 percent of public school students in Jefferson County qualify for free or reduced-price meals, slightly higher than the state average of 52.5 percent.

Each school district sets its own requirements about who may participate in backpack programs; some like South Jefferson may use a blanket application or others may only offer the service to students who receive free or reduced price lunches.

The Friday that Shauna and her family were at the Salvation Army, school was out for 10-year-old Madyson. She said the food there was comparable to the food at her school.

Shauna’s two older daughters live with Cheri, and Cheri said having the option to visit the Salvation Army’s kitchen takes a lot of stress out of the equation. She’s currently facing legal troubles, too, fighting to maintain her worker’s compensation.

Cheri and Shauna said they will most likely attend the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving meal. The family isn’t able to celebrate Thanksgiving at relatives’ houses as they usually would.

“They’ve got some amazing people here. The people who work and eat here,” Shauna said, and knowing other families would be at the Thanksgiving dinner improved her feelings about the event. Madyson said she often sees other children at the Salvation Army, too, including her best friend.

“I see her here more than in school because she got held back a year,” Madyson said.

“Knowing this is here, that there’s always a place to get a hot meal, makes it all a lot less stressful,” Cheri said.

GOUVERNEUR — Construction crews are wrapping up a $2.3 million renovation project at Gouverneur Hospital that nearly doubles the size of the emergency room and provides patients with private rooms and upgraded equipment.

The work is ahead of schedule and hospital officials expect to start treating patients in the renovated space by mid-December.

“The construction work is about 90 percent complete,” said Bonnie Porter, hospital spokeswoman. “The biggest difference is the private rooms. Everything in there is brand-new and we have twice as much room.”

Emergency room functions have temporarily been held in another section of the hospital so that construction work wouldn’t interfere with patient care.

Community members are invited to a Dec. 14 open house in the emergency room area to celebrate the project. The event starts with a reception at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 14, followed by welcoming remarks and tours at 5 p.m.

The new emergency area will be ready for patients after a final inspection is conducted by the state Health Department.

“There may be a final punch list that has to get taken care of before we can fully open. Our understanding is the opening will be soon after the open house,” Mrs. Porter said.

She said the community has been very supportive of the project.

“We want to celebrate the work and everything that helped make this happen,” she said.

Demolition and construction work started in February and is expected to finish by the end of December.

The upgrades include increasing the number of emergency rooms from five to seven and making them private rooms closed off by doors rather than by curtains. There is also a new triage area, a central nurses’ station, a separate waiting room area, new bathroom facilities, upgraded equipment and other improvements.

The project expanded the size of the emergency department from 3,000 square feet to 5,500 square feet. Space that formerly housed physician offices was demolished to make way for the expansion. Last year, the parking lot closest to the emergency department was reconstructed and expanded.

Improvements to the ER were part of the hospital’s five-phase, $4 million capital project that was launched in 2016 to modernize the facility, attract physicians and enhance patient care.

Pike Construction, Rochester, is the general contractor. Several local subcontractors also worked on the project, which was designed by architect Brooks Washburn, Potsdam.

The following property sales were recorded in Jefferson County clerk’s office Nov. 14, 2017:

Town of LeRay: 10.81 acres, 24727 Sanford Corners Road, Calcium, Colonial Savings, Pantego, Texas, sold to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Oklahoma City, Okla. $1

Town of Watertown: 0.673 acres, Route 11, Stephen T. Woodfin, Watertown, sold to Scott A. Dickerson and Catherine E. Dickerson, Watertown $145,000

Town of Brownville: 25.11 acres, Mullin Road, Kenneth Birtle and Jan M. Harwood Birtle, Three Mile Bay, sold to Melissa L. Parker, Watertown $169,900

Town of LeRay: 5.228 acres, Waddingham Road, Nicholas P. Barker and Diane Kubis Barker, Evans Mills, sold to Robert M. Reczko and Amanda M. Reczko, Watertown $315,000

Town of Cape Vincent: 1.74 acres, Breezy Point Road, Robert M. Gates, Cape Vincent, sold to Debra Homa and David Homa, New York Mills $20,000

Town of Cape Vincent: 0.4 acres, Breezy Point Road, Robert M. Gates, Cape Vincent, sold to Debra Homa and David Homa, New York Mills $10,000

City of Watertown: 0.226 acres, Butterfield Avenue, Ashley A. Monnat, Watertown, sold to Richard E. Merryman, Watertown $137,200

Town of Wilna: No acreage listed, Regency Park Subdivision, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C., sold to Kyle Pignone, Watertown $16,000

Village of Antwerp: No acreage listed, Lot 1B, Subdivision for Land First, Leo F. Williams Jr., Liverpool, sold to Enos J. Centerbar and Jesica Lasalle-Centerbar, Hannibal $28,000

Town of Henderson: No acreage or address listed, Bess J. Porcelli, Delray Beach, Fla., sold to Mauri S. Salzman and Judith B. Salzman, Adams $35,000

City of Watertown: 0.2 acres, Harris Drive, Richard E. Merryman and Sonia Merryman, Watertown, sold to Judy A. Rienbeck, Watertown $227,000

Town of Theresa: 0.8 acres, Countryman Road, George F. Davis, Theresa, sold to Joel Spencer, Delray Beach, Fla. $53,000

Village of Brownville: 0.186 acres, Franklin Street, Joshua E. Dettmer and Sabrina L. Dettmer, Brownville, sold to Dalton R. Hall and Anastasia L. Hall, Dexter $119,900

Tow of Brownville: Two parcels, no acreage listed, Lorinda Street, D. Diane Carroll, Dexter, sold to Brittnie D. Carroll, Hartsdale $70,000

Town of Pamelia: 1.13 acres, 27091 Perch Lake Road, Anthony M. Neddo, Watertown, as referee for Eileen N. Fanning, sold to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., McLean, Va. $479,681

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, 333 Thompson Boulevard, Kathryn R. Beil and Ryan M. Beil, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., sold to Eric Beaudoin, Dexter $176,000

City of Watertown: 0.295 acres, Main Avenue at Mill Street, Lobut Development LLC, Watertown, sold to New Hamilton Place Developer LLC, Portland, Maine $350,000

Town of Adams: 0.24 acres, Bond Street, RLN Restorations LLC, Rochester, sold to Melissa Anne Allison, Watertown $191,100

City of Watertown: 0.21 acres, Academy Street, Todd J. Doldo, Watertown, as referee for James Richard Tenaglia, sold to Federal Home Mortgage Corp., McLean, Va. $155,300

The following property sales were recorded in Jefferson County clerk’s office Nov. 15, 2017:

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, 310 Barben Ave., Korey J. Hinkle, Valdosta, Ga., sold to Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, West Palm Beach, Fla. $105,000

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, 310 Barben Ave., Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, West Palm Beach, Fla., sold to Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tenn. $0

Village of Sackets Harbor: Battlefield Commons LLC, Latham, sold to Benjamin D. Richards and Jamie R. Richards, Sackets Harbor $288,371

Village of Sackets Harbor: 0.395 acres, Funny Cide Drive, Sackets Meadows LLC, Latham, sold to Anette Ames, Sackets Harbor $272,515

Town of Wilna: 0.22 acres, 43982 Church St., Natural Bridge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C., sold to Castlerock 2017, White Plains $17,000

Town of Henderson: 14.3 acres, Harbor Road (County Route 123), Louis B. Adams Jr., Adams Center, as trustee of Joanne S. Wise Trust; Richard H. Wise, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., as trustee of Anderson Wise Family Living Revocable Trust; David A. Wise, Richmond, Va., Mark J. Wise, Jacksonville, Fla., and Graham D. Wise, Watertown, sold to Mark J. Wise, Jacksonville, Fla. $375,000

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, 608 Academy St., Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as trustee for Ameriquest Mortgage Securities Inc., c/o Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, West Palm Beach, Fla., sold to Eric Allen, Watertown $18,000

Town of Brownville: 5.5 acres, Middle Road, Michael J. Dean, Watertown, sold to Mark Lustik and Faith Lustik, Dexter $45,000

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, 1000 Franklin St., Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C., sold to Steven G. Knight, Watertown $15,000

Town of Philadelphia: 5.012 acres, Route 11, Kevin M. Bonner and Brittany E. Bonner, Waddell, Ariz., sold to David E. McAleer and Rebecca L. McAleer, Enterprise, Ala. $228,000

The following property sales were recorded in Jefferson County clerk’s office Nov. 16, 2017:

Town of Champion: 5.008 acres, Watson Road, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB c/o Alta Residential Solutions LLC, Minneapolis, Minn., sold to Jessy Chase, Sherburne $15,500

Town of Adams: 0.459 acres, Route 11, Barbara Cook, Adams, and Francis A. Cook, Adams, sold to RAMCO Inc., Adams Center $130,000

City of Watertown: 0.022 acres, Bugbee Drive, Alvin H. Bregman and Elissa A. Bregman, Manlius, sold to John Laldin and Rebecca Laldin, Watertown $200,000

Town of Alexandria: No acreage listed, County Route 100, Wellesley Island, Judith Allen, Springville, Pa., administrator of Frank R. Spadine estate, sold to Jeffery C. Katen, Wellesley Island $140,000

Town of Alexandria: 0.6 acres, Number Nine Island, David C. Garlock, Alexandria Bay, sold to Alexander C. Mosher and Elizabeth Mosher, Alexandria Bay $62,500

Village of Alexandria Bay: 0.25 acres, Otter Street, Anne Rogers, as trustee of Anne M. Rogers Revocable Trust, Jeffersonville, Vt., sold to Stephen Michael Raven, Marcellus and Christopher Allen Witt, Liverpool $285,000

Town of Theresa: 1 acre, no address listed, Bryan C. Bolin, Sparks, Nev., sold to Kevin W. Gats and Hayley E. Gats, Grovetown, Ga. $229,000

Town of Clayton: 7.53 acres, no address listed, Alan Marceau, Clayton, sold to Paul J. Corbett II, Spencer J. Churchill, Clayton and Libby Churchill, Clayton $26,000

Town of Pamelia: 13.7 acres, Sawdy Road, Sue Ann Gilpin Sepko, Watertown, sold to Derek W. Eamer and Maura J. Eamer, Dexter $18,000

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, Mill Street, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C., sold to Serena M. Krauz, Watertown $63,504

The following property sales were recorded in Jefferson County clerk’s office Nov. 17, 2017:

City of Watertown: 9.47 acres, 614 Sherman Street, Robert P. Bogdan, Sackets Harbor, as referee for Vicki L. Miller, sold to U.S. Bank Trust N.A. as trustee for LSF9 Master Participation Trust, Minneapolis, Minn. $112,164

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, 219 Stuart St., Timothy Farley, Carthage, as referee for Thomas S. Mason II, sold to Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tenn. $104,778

Village of Theresa: 0.54 acres, 21 Antwerp St., Timothy A. Farley, Carthage, as referee for Joseph Q. Cobb, sold to Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tenn. $150,354

Village of Cape Vincent: 1.58 acres, Vincent Street, Frank L. Florio, Cape Vincent, sold to Laurie E. Hanna and Roland Sherman, Cape Vincent $150,000

Town of Adams: 1.21 acres, Massey Street Road, Lisa D. Nappi, Averill Park, sold to Shawn M. Axtell and Jennifer J. Axtell, Watertown $116,500

Town of Ellisburg: 84.58 acres, state Route 193, Gary C. Smithers and Vicki L. Smithers, Ellisburg, sold to Timothy J. Hess, Mannsville $200,000

Village of Adams: No acreage listed, Wardwell Street, Mary Beth Ramsey, Adams Center, sold to Billie J. Ward, Watertown, and James A. Rogers, Adams $90,000

Town of Rutland: Two parcels, 2.272 acres, 18525 Route 162, Howard V. Madsen II, Watertown, sold to Wells Fargo Bank, Des Moines, Iowa $164,300

Town of Rutland: Two parcels, 2.272 acres, 18525 Route 162, Wells Fargo Bank, Des Moines, Iowa, sold to Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tenn. $10

Town of Wilna: 4.03 acres, Selos Road, David W. Jones, Brunswick, Ga., sold to Mark Woodfolk and Tina J. Woodfolk, Carthage $220,000

Town of Ellisburg: No acreage listed, Comstock Road, Jon K. Holcombe, Wellesley Island, as referee for Michael Thompson, sold to Credit Human Federal Credit Union, Greensboro, N.C. $90,118

Village of Dexter: No acreage listed, William Street, Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Dallas, Texas, sold to Jayhoz LLC, Watertown $22,000

Village of Adams: 0.025 acres, Liberty Street, Albert C. Ebdon, Adams, sold to Ramco Inc., Adams Center $40,000

Village of Cape Vincent: 0.4592 acres, Club Street, John M. Gates and Sharon L. Gates, Poughkeepsie, sold to Frank Florio, Cape Vincent $214,000

Town of Alexandria: Three parcels, 1.8 acres, no address listed, David G. Spies, Redwood, trustee of Royce O. Spies Inter Vivos Trust, sold to David G. Spies, Redwood $40,000

Town of Alexandria: Two parcels, 0.096 acres, no address given, Royal C. Garlock II, Alexandria Bay, sold to Michael Bogart and Suzanne Bogart, Alexandria Bay $0

Village of Black River: 151 North Main St., Michael J. Zecher and Joanne Gracey Zecher, Black River, sold to Kristen D. Nelson, Fort Drum $219,000

Village of Black River: 0.344 acres, North Main Street, Bryce E. Livingston and Sarah S. Livingston, Black River, sold to Crystal Marie Bush, Normal, Ill. $237,500

Village of Theresa: 0.25 acres, 102 Park Ave., Bayview Loan Servicing LLC, Coral Gables, Fla., sold to EXR LLC, Edwardsville, Ill. $5,000

The following property sales were recorded in Jefferson County clerk’s office Nov. 20, 2017:

Town of Orleans: 1.93 acres, state Route 180, Parker Henry Group LLC, Chaumont, sold to Benjamin R.J. Henry and Jourdan Irene Henry, Clayton $219,000

City of Watertown: No acreage listed, Walden Avenue, Kyle Pignone, Watertown, and Anthony Frederick, Adams, sold to Jacqueline S. Ward, Watertown $123,500

Village of Clayton: 0.91 acres, State Street, Haloco Ideas Inc., Clayton, sold to Robert J. Spry and Jeanne M. Burnash, Adams Center $85,000

Town of Henderson: 0.29 acres, Snowshoe Road, David J. Furman and Phyllis R. Furman, Rochester, sold to Stephen G. Schick and Donna J. Schick, Grahamsville $230,000

Village of Carthage: 0.66 acres, West Street Road, Lionel Hector, Watertown, sold to Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB as trustee for Stanwich Mortgage Loan Trust c/o Carrington Mortgage Services LLC, Anaheim, Calif. $97,164

The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office July 3, 2017:

Village of Massena: 1.2 acres more or less, Lot 11, bounded by East Hatfield Street, Real C. Coupal, Massena, sold to Paulette M. Poirier and Danielle L. Bracy, Malone $235,000

Town of Fine: Parcel 1) 64.64 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 1 acre more or less, bounded by Oswegatchie Road and Little River, Roger S. and Debra L. Folsom, Oswegatchie, sold to Darryl and Deidre Godin, Lake Placid $4,900

City of Ogdensburg: Parcel 1) 0.50 of an acre more or less, Parcel 2) Unknown acres, Lot 1 and Lot 3, Block 42, bounded by Isabella Street and Pickering Street, 604 Crescent Ave. Inc., Ogdensburg, sold to Job C. and Gillian M. Edwards, Ogdensburg $154,900

City of Ogdensburg: 0.13 of an acre more or less, Lot 7, Block 36, bounded by Patterson Street and Montgomery Street, Phillip and Audrey Jean Dranger (trustees), The Dranger Family Trust, Fairfield, Tenn., sold to Andrea L. Chenier, Ogdensburg $78,500

The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office July 5, 2017:

City of Ogdensburg: Unknown Parcels, unknown acres, Lot 2 and Lot 3, bounded by Patterson Street, St. Mary’s Church Ogdensburg, Ogdensburg, sold to Robert W. Seymour, Ogdensburg $800

Town of Colton: Parcel 1) 1.79 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 1.78 acres more or less, Mile Square 1, bounded by McKabe Road, LaPierre Management LLC, Colton, sold to Gregory D. Smith, Colton $7,250

Town of Hammond and Town of Morristown: Unknown Parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Bay Street Road and Chippewa Creek, Mark C. Hall (executor), David A. McQueer, Hammond, sold to Edward A. and Beverly J. Graham, Hammond $0

Town of Colton: 1.13 acres more or less, Section 13, bounded by Fuhr Road and Gulf Road, William J. Sutton (administration), Estate of Phyllis Bovay, Gouverneur, sold to Robert Green, Colton $45,000

Town of Colton: 1.18 acres more or less, bounded by Gulf Road, Linda L. Parks, Colton, sold to Duane Owen and Cynthia Kay Leach, Potsdam $140,000

Village of Massena: Town of Louisville, 0.45 of an acre more or less, Lot 117, bounded by Kensington Place, Patrick and Nancy Bassney, Lewiston, sold to Edmund Porter Waters Jr. and Michelle L. Waters, Waddington $195,000

Town of Hopkinton: 1.17 acres more or less, bounded by Fort Jackson-Hopkinton Road, Jack I. Hollenbeck, North Lawrence and James C. Hollenbeck, Fort Jackson, sold to Crystal M. Smith, Fort Jackson $1

Town of Colton: 5.07 acres more or less,Lot D, Section 13, bounded by Green Pond, Richard and Marilyn Bish, Hermon, sold to Richard Bradshaw and Kathleen Wallace, Madison, N.J. $214,000

The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office July 6, 2017:

Town of Waddington: Unknown acres, St. Lawrence River Lot 20, John W. and Darcey A. Meddings, Massena, sold to William R. and Janice E. Arquiett, Waddington $30,000

Village of Canton: Unknown acres, bounded by Chapel Street, Carol L.G. Bate, Medfield, Mass., sold to Allison M. Cole, Canton $92,000

Town of Potsdam: 3.818 acres more or less, bounded by Perrin Road and Main Street Road, Sergiy and Iryna Minko, Bishop, Ga., sold to Meaghan and Joshua Bartell, Potsdam $15,000

Town of Canton: 35.29 acres more or less, bounded by Old State Road and Lincoln Road, Keith W. Noble, Canton, sold to Lucas J. and Kelly L. Sagarin, Colorado Springs, Colo. $0

Town of Massena: Unknown acres, bounded by North Grass River Road, Lloyd A. Mayville, Russell, sold to Dolly J. Mayville, Hamilton, Va. $0

Village of Massena: Unknown acres, Lot 3, Block 493, Joel Dupree, Massena, Jay Dupree, Menomonie, Wis., Jolene Truax, Liverpool and Norma M. Dupree, Massena, sold to Kenneth and Julie Chapman, Massena $85,000

As Black Friday shoppers descend on stores this weekend, retailers are experiencing something that’s been in short supply: optimism.

Brick-and-mortar chains are coming off a generally positive earnings season, with companies such as Wal-Mart Stores seeing their shares reach record highs. Even the beleaguered department-store industry is finding reasons for hope. Macy’s and its peers rallied earlier this month after giving an upbeat outlook.

Retailers are now taking that spirit into Black Friday weekend, which traditionally kicks off the holiday shopping season. While the event has lost some of its buzz in recent years -- there will probably be smaller crowds and fewer shoppers fist-fighting for big-screen TVs -- stores aim to build on the momentum. Companies like Target have revamped their selection and staffed up in anticipation of a merrier Christmas.

“We’re in a much stronger position entering this season,” Target Chief Executive Officer Brian Cornell said in an interview.

The National Retail Federation projects that about 164 million consumers -- 69 percent of Americans -- will shop at stores or online over the long weekend that starts on Thanksgiving. Though Black Friday still has strong symbolism within the industry, consumers have become less loyal to the event’s promotions. Instead, they’re spending more of their holiday budgets before or after Thanksgiving.

Overall holiday spending is expected to climb as much as 4 percent from last year, helped by low unemployment and rising home values. The purchases will amount to roughly $680 billion in November and December, the Washington-based NRF estimates.

Market-analysis firm NPD Group sees positive momentum forming, with sales for a basket of merchandise up about 6 percent in the first two weeks of November from a year ago. Movement has been particularly brisk for apparel, athletic footwear, beauty and small appliances, the group said.

Retailers have been offering deals online and in stores all week, aiming to get a jump on Black Friday and cut through the noise. The early indications are positive, said Jerry Storch, head of Storch Advisors and the former CEO of Hudson’s Bay Co.

“The question will be, who’s going to win and who’s going to lose?” he said.

Plenty of major retailers continue to languish, and it’s hard to tell if the holidays will bring them much relief. Comparable sales -- a key measure -- plunged 17 percent last quarter at Sears and 12 percent at J. Crew stores.

Amazon.com is poised to be one of the winners. The e-commerce giant recently overtook Wal-Mart as the top toy destination, helped by low prices, according to Jefferies LLC analyst Stephanie Wissink.

Amazon will account for about 44 percent of U.S. retail e-commerce sales this year, making it the undisputed leader online, according to EMarketer Inc.

And e-commerce sales have started off strong this holiday season. So far, $30.4 billion has been spent online in November, according to Adobe Systems Inc. data. That’s up 18 percent from a year earlier.

But internet sales represent less than 12 percent of total holiday retail purchases, EMarketer estimates. That means there’s still plenty of opportunities for brick-and-mortar chains to thrive.

Stores also are getting smarter about how they do sales and discounts, said Charlie O’Shea, an analyst at Moody’s Investors Service.

“The retailers are getting more tactical with promotions -- with online marketing and a whole lot of other stuff happening,” he said. “You’re going to see more creative promotions.”

About 77 percent of retailers that already reported third-quarter earnings met or exceeded analysts’ projections, according to data compiled by research firm Retail Metrics. Analysts have boosted their year-end earnings estimates for the S&P 500 retail index over the past month by more than any year since 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

That’s given investors more confidence that the sector is finally seeing a comeback. The S&P 500 retail index has risen 22 percent so far this year, compared with a 16 percent gain for the overall index.

Even so, recent hurricanes and other natural disasters still loom over the industry. Consumers in hard-hit areas may be more focused on getting back on their feet, A.T. Kearney partner Ryan Fisher said in a report.

“This holiday period won’t be great for retailers serving the charred remains of neighborhoods in Santa Rosa, California, or the storm-ravaged communities across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, where consumers are going to be spending their money -- assuming they have any to spend -- rebuilding rather than accessorizing,” he said.

To maintain momentum, retailers will be trying to capitalize on shoppers combining in-store and e-commerce purchases. Though almost 90 percent of consumers are planning to visit physical stores, many plan to complete their shopping lists online, a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers found. That means chains have to make sure in-store shoppers are using their websites as well.

It will take time to see how it all plays out, Storch said.

“Black Friday I expect to be strong,” he said. “And then we’ll see what happens.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For his first Thanksgiving in office, President Donald Trump returned to the comforts of his civilian lifestyle: the luxury of his Palm Beach properties, complete with early-morning Twitter commentary and a list of all the ways he — and, as a result, the country — is winning.

Trump started by wishing his 43 million followers a happy Thanksgiving, then recited a heaping helping of reasons the nation should be thankful.

“HAPPY THANKSGIVING, your Country is starting to do really well,” he wrote on Twitter. “Jobs coming back, highest Stock Market EVER, Military getting really strong, we will build the WALL, V.A. taking care of our Vets, great Supreme Court Justice, RECORD CUT IN REGS, lowest unemployment in 17 years...!”

In a video teleconference later Thursday morning, the president assured troops from the five branches of the military, stationed across the world, that they were “fighting for something real” and that “really good things” had happened with the country while they were overseas. More improvements, including “big, fat, beautiful tax cuts,” are to come, he said.

Speaking from a lavish room at Mar-a-Lago, the club that he and his staff have deemed “the Winter White House,” he applauded the progress he said was being made in Afghanistan and Iraq, adding that the gains made against the Islamic State in the past year exceeded those during “years of the previous administration.”

“We’re being talked about again as an armed forces,” he said as a few club members lingered outside. “We’re really winning. We know how to win. But we have to let you win. They weren’t letting you win before.”

He continued extolling the victories during a second event at a Coast Guard station in Riviera Beach. The first lady, Melania Trump, joined him to hand out sandwiches in the station’s mess hall. The first couple had also provided assortments of fruit, muffins and cookies to the service members, some of whom were about to go out on patrol.

Donald Trump, the master marketer, spoke of the Coast Guard in terms few presidents have used. “I think that there is no brand — of any kind, I’m not just talking about a military branch — that has gone up more than the Coast Guard,” Trump told the service members, citing what he described as the organization’s successful response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria this year. “Incredible people, you’ve done an incredible job, and I love coming here and doing this for you today.”

He noted orders for new military equipment, including Coast Guard cutters, Navy ships and Air Force planes, including one that is “almost like an invisible fighter.”

The president then returned to old holiday habits, leaving to spend a few hours at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach before returning to Mar-a-Lago, the club he owns, in an unusual fall rain.

The menu was to include traditional fare — turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows — as well as local produce, red snapper, Florida stone crab and a variety of baked goods, cakes and pies, according to a summary provided by Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady.

Trump’s time at Mar-a-Lago and his surrounding golf courses was not, the White House told reporters, merely leisure, but was filled with meetings and phone calls, a schedule that Trump emphasized on Twitter on Wednesday.

“Will be having meetings and working the phones from the Winter White House in Florida (Mar-a-Lago),” he wrote on Twitter before spending a few hours at his West Palm Beach golf course. Officials declined to say with whom the president spoke.

In the years since Trump renovated Mar-a-Lago, the former estate of cereal company heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, into an upscale club and resort, he has relished spending parts of the holiday season there, said Anthony P. Senecal, Trump’s former butler, who worked at the resort for more than 20 years. This visit was the president’s first to the club since April.

“He’s coming home,” Senecal said in an interview. “He’s going to be overjoyed that he’s at Mar-a-Lago, that he’s near the golf course, that he’s going to see a lot of friends that he hasn’t seen in a great while.”

While the living room Christmas tree and menorah are usually not up yet, the week of Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Mar-a-Lago holiday season, after the club’s annual summer closing for repairs and historic restoration, Senecal said.

Families congregate to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving fare, and Trump generally circles the room, which is decorated with seasonal flowers, to greet the club members, who pay thousands of dollars for membership. The president, Senecal recalled, prefers white turkey meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, and usually his signature two scoops of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.

“Thanksgiving is a joyous time,” said Senecal, who said he had declined a Thanksgiving invitation this year because of medical issues. (Last year, Trump called Senecal “obviously a very troubled man” after the discovery of Facebook posts in which Senecal had called for the execution of Barack Obama.) “There’s never been any other place. Wouldn’t know what to compare it to.”

It is unclear how different the social season at the club will be this year, especially after several charities canceled events over the president’s response to the racially tinged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, according to The Washington Post. But Peter Brock, a local real estate developer and a member of the club who has spent parts of the holiday season there in the past, said Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency had only elevated his star presence on the grounds.

“The bottom line is, he is always enthusiastic about coming home and seeing what he calls his people,” Brock said. “And for the most part, we are his people.”

But holiday or not, Trump is not one to pass up an opportunity to deliver a jab. In 2013, he offered these greetings on Twitter: “Happy Thanksgiving to all — even the haters and losers!” And on Thursday, he took aim at some of his favorite targets: the reporters trailing him for the duration of his Florida stay.

“I’ll ask the press to get out, and I’ll say, ‘You’re fired,’” Trump said as reporters were ushered out of the Mar-a-Lago teleconference. “And, by the way, media, happy Thanksgiving, I must say.”

TOKYO - The U.S. Navy called off its search for three sailors missing since Wednesday, when a transport plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean on its way to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

Eight people were rescued and are in good condition, but the remaining three sailors had not been found after two days of searching, the Navy’s 7th Fleet, which is based in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, said in a statement Friday.

The Reagan had been leading the search effort, joined by eight U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships, three helicopter squadrons and maritime patrol aircraft.

They had covered nearly 1,000 square nautical miles in the search for the sailors, who had been missing since the C-2A Greyhound crashed about halfway between Okinawa and Guam on Wednesday afternoon.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our lost shipmates and their families,” said Rear Adm. Marc Dalton, Commander of Task Force 70. “As difficult as this is, we are thankful for the rapid and effective response that led to the rescue of eight of our shipmates.”

The names of the sailors have not been released as their families are still being informed.

The C-2A, a twin-engine cargo plane designed to transport people and supplies to and from aircraft carriers, was on a routine flight from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan to the Reagan, which was in the Philippine Sea for exercises.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known and an investigation is being conducted.

This is the first time since 1973 that a Navy C2-A has been involved in a fatal crash. Then, seven people were killed when both of the aircraft’s engines failed shortly after take off from Chania-Souda airport in Greece.

This crash comes at the end of a bad year for the 7th Fleet, which had already lost 17 sailors in two separate collisions involving guided-missile destroyers.

Ten sailors were killed when the USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker near Singapore in August, and seven died when the USS Fitzgerald ran into a much heavier container ship off the coast of Japan in June.

The Navy removed the admiral in charge from his position in August, citing a “loss of confidence” in his ability to lead, and the Navy’s top admiral ordered a fleetwide review of seamanship and training in the Pacific after the McCain collision.

The Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, left Yokosuka Friday, headed to Pascagoula, Mississippi, for repairs. The Fitzgerald was towed to deep water and over the next few days will be lifted onto the heavy lift transport vessel Transshelf to be moved to the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipbuilding facility in Mississippi for repairs and upgrades.

The McCain and Fitzgerald incidents followed a collision between another guided-missile cruiser, the USS Lake Champlain, and a South Korean fishing vessel, and an embarrassing incident when the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground in Tokyo Bay in January.

Just last week, the USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer, was scraped by a Japanese tug during a towing exercise. The destroyer suffered minimal damage.

The 7th Fleet has about 50 to 70 ships assigned to it and is responsible for an area that spans 36 maritime countries and 48 million square miles in the Pacific and Indian oceans, according to the Navy.

WASHINGTON — At the heart of the Republican tax plan hurtling through Congress is an implicit promise that cutting corporate taxes will lift the middle class through higher wages and more jobs.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, for example, said in a recent speech that “fixing the business side of our tax code is really all about helping families and workers.”

Yet few U.S. companies have offered specific plans that support those promises. While many chief executives broadly praise Republicans’ efforts to cut taxes, few have detailed how they would deploy the savings from a corporate tax cut or put more money back in workers’ pockets.

Labor groups are seizing on the administration’s economic analysis that the tax cut will translate into an extra $4,000 in take-home pay for workers.

This week, the Communications Workers of America asked several companies that employ its members to promise to give workers a pay increase if the cut in the corporate tax rate goes through. The request, while unlikely to be heeded, highlights a critical question over who would benefit the most from the tax bill: shareholders or workers?

“President Trump and the Republican Congress have been trying to sell this corporate tax cut to working families by making big claims about wage increases, investment and job growth that don’t seem to be supported by the evidence,” said Chris Shelton, president of the union. “We’re going straight to the people who know how corporations plan to spend the billions of dollars being handed over to them — the CEOs — and asking them if they intend to keep the promises that Trump is making on their behalf.”

Democrats and liberal economists cite research that suggests that the bulk of the benefits from corporate cuts will flow to the rich, partly through companies’ buying back stock or increasing dividend payments to shareholders.

In a letter sent this week to the top executives of Verizon, AT&T and six other companies, the communications union asked them to pledge a $4,000 annual pay increase for employees for every year that the corporate rate rests at 20 percent.

The companies largely declined to comment or dismissed the letter as a stunt.

PLATTSBURGH — Nine candidates hoping to unseat incumbent Elise Stefanik in the 2018 election for the 21st District congressional seat traded views at an entertaining forum at Clinton Community College.

The recent scene was reminiscent of the 2016 presidential campaign, when stages across the country were often filled with politicians competing to get the best answers in.

Of the nine candidates at the CCC event, seven were Democrats, one was Republican and one independent.

Democrats are likely to hold a primary next June to determine who will be their candidate in the November election.

Republican Russ Finley of Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, is also planning to challenge Stefanik in a Republican primary.

Steve Krieg, Plattsburgh, says he is running as an independent.

In the two-hour forum sponsored by North Country RESPECT and moderated by Pat Bradley of WAMC, candidates discussed a wide range of issues, including taxes, economic development and who their favorite president is.

Tedra Cobb of Canton, Ronald Kim of Queensbury, Katie Wilson of Keene, Tanya Boone of Granville, Don Boyajian of Cambridge, Patrick Nelson of Stillwater and Emily Martz of Saranac Lake are the Democrats who participated.

Both Krieg and Finley were also at the forum.

Stefanik (R-Willsboro) did not take part.

All of the candidates agreed that having a private railroad company housing empty oil tanker cars in the Adirondack Park is a bad idea and that whoever the congressional representative is should make it a priority to get the cars removed.

Kim suggested that a special tax on the railroad company would make its owners change their minds in a hurry.

All candidates, except Wilson, said they would like to see the Lake Placid region consider hosting another Winter Olympic games, whether it be solo or in conjunction with Montreal.

Wilson said that hosting the games would be costly and noted that in the aftermath of the 1980 games in Lake Placid, some of the venues were turned into prisons.

“Not unless you want more prisons,” Wilson said of the games idea.

Most candidates said Congress should seriously look into whether President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence should face impeachment, but Finley was not among them.

He sternly objected to the question, saying it was not appropriate; several audience members groaned.

“Hey, you want to attack my president, ladies and gentlemen? I’m not going to tolerate it,” Finley said.

The question of whether to support a “rooftop highway” across the northern portion of the state, connecting Plattsburgh and Watertown, drew mixed answers.

Martz said a rooftop highway would stimulate the economy of the region.

“Prosperity exists where the flow of goods and services exists,” she said.

Asked how many High Peaks they’ve hiked, most candidates said they done some but could not recall exactly how many.

Boyajian said he is an avid hiker and is working on tackling many of the High Peaks in winter now.

Cobb admitted that she had hiked none.

“But I’ve done a whole lot of Zumba,” she said, drawing laughs.

The candidates also confessed that they are very limited in speaking French.

Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter and Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt were mentioned when the candidates were asked to name their all-time favorite president.

Krieg drew laughter when he answered the question: Who do you think is the leader of your party?

“Angela Merkel,” he said, naming the German chancellor. “I had to go with somebody I could respect.”

Boone named U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

“I know there’s big controversy right now, so she’s taking a lot of heat, but I would still say Kirsten Gillibrand,” she said.

The Democratic candidates all said Stefanik is not representing the district well and it is time to unseat her.

Stefanik was first elected in 2014, at 30, the youngest woman ever voted in to Congress, and she was re-elected again in 2016.

“She is not doing her job,” Boyajian said.

Wilson, who is just a few months older than Stefanik, said she would be the youngest Democratic woman ever elected if she wins.

“But I represent the working class,” she said. “When was the last time we had a working class representative? How great would that be?”

Finley reminded the Democratic candidates and the audience that Stefanik must first win the nod of her own party if she wants to be re-elected.

“Elise has to get through me first,” he said. “I’m here, and she is not.”

A straw poll was circulated among the 122 people in attendance, asking who they thought would be the most effective representative for the district.

Nelson was pleased to come out on top of the informal survey, with 34 of 100 votes.

“We won,” Nelson tweeted after the event.

Cobb and Martz were next with 14 each, and Wilson had 13.

ALBANY — After a jury in Syracuse Monday ruled in favor of Jeffery Monsour, an employee of the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, in a workplace retaliation suit, he is asking other OPWDD workers to bring issues of abuse, retaliation and falsified records to light.

The verdict could set a precedent for OPWDD employees talking publicly about problems they see within the agency. The jury determined that the agency violated Monsour’s First Amendment rights when it retaliated against him for reporting problems within the agency to journalists.

“They are afraid,” Monsour said. “People are afraid because once you turn something in, they (OPWDD) come after you viciously.”

Though this is the first case in which a jury ruled that OPWDD retaliated against a worker, agency employees — including former employees at Sunmount, an OPWDD hub based in Tupper Lake — say the practice is common and kept quiet.

“If you talk to the media … they’ll go back and they’ll start looking at notes until they find something,” former Sunmount employee Dave McMahon of Tupper Lake said. “It could be something that happened four or five years ago. … This stuff is going to continue and continue until somebody from Albany comes down here and really straightens out administration.”

McMahon said that although the verdict is a landmark for whistle-blowing and treatment of OPWDD employees, it has not changed anything yet. It is a start, he said; extended and consistent attempts will be needed to reveal workplace retaliation within the agency.

Drawing comparisons to the streak of whistle-blowers revealing rampant sexual abuse within Hollywood, Washington and the media, McMahon said that all it took was one person to come out and say something to start a flood of revelations.

Monsour clarified that he does not want to prompt OPWDD to close facilities or to damage the care it provides to the state’s 1 million disabled individuals; he currently works at two facilities.

An OPWDD direct-care worker for 18 years, Monsour said he was troubled by instances of falsified fire drills, sexual abuse and a lack of discipline for abusive employees. After revealing these concerns to superiors and seeing no changes, he turned these issues over the the press in 2011.

The jury determined Monsour had been denied promotions and transfers, and had been falsely accused of abuse as retaliation for speaking to the press and revealing flaws in the agency.

The abuse allegation stemmed from a loud argument he had with a co-worker in front of a resident, where he said he was sworn at while he tried to defuse the situation. The allegation was settled in arbitration, and Monsour submitted a letter with no admission of guilt, but the allegation remained in his personnel file for 18 months.

“Jeff Monsour is an absolute hero and champion for the disabled,” said Michael Carey, founder of the Jonathan Carey Foundation, which advocates for people with developmental disabilities under state care — named for his son, who was killed by staff at O.D. Heck, an OPWDD facility in Schenectady. “He is a defender of the defenseless, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Carey said he also does not want OPWDD facilities to close, mentioning the value they hold for the disabled. He does want to see reform and what he refers to as “common-sense changes,” such as proper background checks for employees, cameras in secluded areas to deter sexual abuse and conclusive investigations from the Justice Center for claims of physical, mental and sexual abuse.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo set up the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs in response to abuses such as the death of Jonathan Carey. The agency took over investigating abuse from OPWDD and other agencies, but advocates, staff and others have criticized its backlog and scarcity of prosecutions.

OPWDD officials did not respond with comments for this story.

Monsour’s lawyer, Robert Sadowski, said instead of retaliating against Monsour, OPWDD should charge him with making changes to the issues he brought to light.

“They should advance him to a position where his skills and services and interests could best be served,” Sadowski said.

Monsour was awarded a mere $1 in damages and continues to work at OPWDD, splitting time between the Stony Creek facility and Fort Edward day habilitation center.