St. Lawrence Valley NY

The federal government is pumping a lot of money into New York schools, but if one local school is any indication, financial worries persist.

Last week, the Empire State won a $696 million “Race To The Top” education grant. This is “big picture” money. It will go to improving teaching and testing, not day-to-day operations or salaries.

Two weeks ago, the state got $608 million from Washington. These funds can only be used by public schools to hire or re-hire teachers. But as Martha Foley reports, Canton Central School will hire only one full time teacher with its extra half a million dollars. The rest is a hedge against troubles next year. More...

The post-bailout arm of General Motors that’s in charge of liquidating failed assets of the car-maker wants to tear down the Powertrain plant in Massena. The plant closed for good last year. But the buildings, the equipment, and the soil underneath is contaminated with toxic PCB oil. Federal environment officials now say Motors Liquidation Company has to clean it all up before demolition can begin. As David Sommerstein reports, the extent of the contamination has some former workers and the Massena community worried.

One of the North Country’s oldest retailers is dropping its name. Hacketts, based in Ogdensburg, will change its name to Outlet Center in Ogdensburg. The beleaguered company is in bankruptcy. It has only one store open this summer. David Sommerstein reports.

As we heard in Karen’s story, a portion of New York’s Race To The Top funding is expected to go toward the state’s massive database on teacher and student performance.

Across the North Country, school officials support this idea—and hope the federal money can fund other educational programs.

Jonathan Brown has more on local reaction. More...

A Clarkson University student is balancing his academic studies with running a campus charity that's supporting a school in west Africa. In our occasional series, Moving the World, we meet North Country people who take their skills, expertise and resources to share with communities around the globe. Francis Dayamba is a civil engineering senior at Clarkson. But he also wants to help make a difference in the lives of youngsters in the small west African country of Benin. Last year, Clarkson students donated $650 to pay for school uniforms and scholarships. Dayamba spoke with Todd Moe about the D'Amuge Fund.

Senior adults who would like to learn to play a concert band instrument are invited to a workshop in Potsdam tomorrow morning. Dig out that old clarinet or trumpet from the attic, or try out a new instrument. Brass player Ron Berry came up with the idea of starting a band for seniors based on his experiences, as an adult, at summer music camps through the New Horizons International Music Association. He told Todd Moe that beginners are especially welcome.

A coalition is trying to stop a nuclear plant from shipping low-level radioactive waste to Sweden by way of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Bruce Power operates North America’s largest nuclear power plant northwest of Toronto. The company says its plan is safe and good for the environment. David Sommerstein reports. More...

A group of artists and veterans has returned to St. Lawrence University this month along with a sample of artwork made from military uniforms. Through the Combat Paper Project’s paper making workshops, vets use their uniforms worn in combat to create healing, therapeutic works of art. The project began a few years ago in Burlington and has chapters around the country. Workshops, exhibits and artists' talks have been held in dozens of locations in the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe. Todd Moe stopped by the art studios at St. Lawrence University to watch the paper making process — where old uniforms become art and vets reconcile their experiences.

The duties of the head gardener at Upper Canada Village, a living history museum in Morrisburg, Ontario, are many...and varied. Brian Henderson “lives” gardening as it was in the mid-1800s. It’s a full time commitment, from seedlings, through summer, and the harvest. Brian Henderson uses “period” tools and methods...and wardrobe, as well. He's today's Heard Up North.

Henderson told his story to Jill Breit, of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York. TAUNY is our partner in the Garden Plot, and you can find more about Jill’s trip to the Upper Canada Village gardens at the Garden Plot blog.

Republican candidates for the 23rd Congressional district seat are making late summer pushes toward a September primary. Alexandria Bay businessman Matt Doheny has shored up support from the GOP establishment. All of the party’s county chairs have endorsed him. Tea Party insurgent Doug Hoffman says he relishes the outsider status, just as he did in last year’s special election that brought him to within a few percentage points of Democrat and Congressman Bill Owens. Hoffman trails Doheny significantly in fundraising. Lacking the get-out-the-vote infrastructure of a major party, Hoffman will need a big grassroots push to win. As David Sommerstein reports, whether he gets it is the central question of his campaign. More...