(02/03/12) Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced last week that the military wants to close some installations as its reduces its force size and winds down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The process is called BRAC, for "base realignment and closure."
A spokeswoman for Fort Drum said the post isn't commenting on the announcement, but reporter Joanna Richards spoke with Carl McLaughlin, executive director of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization in Watertown, about how Fort Drum may fare as the BRAC process takes shape. more
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1000 Islands/Jefferson Co.See also: Fort Drum
Rep. Bill Owens (D-Plattsburgh)
(01/27/12) Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced yesterday that he wants Congress to authorize a new round of base closures that could help the Pentagon save more than 500 million dollars.
That news angered Congressman Bill Owens, whose district includes the Fort Drum Army base near Watertown. Martha Foley has details. more
(01/23/12) Watertown has been excited about the possibility of a new future for the city's landmark Woolworth building for several years. The historic downtown building is on the site of the dry goods store where F.W. Woolworth began his retail career.
In 1921, after launching his five-and-dime empire, Woolworth demolished the old store and built his imposing new headquarters. But as the five and dime empire went, so went the building. It's been vacant for years. A new owner purchased the building several years ago, now city officials worry the redevelopment plans may be in jeopardy. Joanna Richards has the story. more
Outgoing Watertown City Manager Mary Corriveau. Photo: Watertown government
(01/19/12) The Watertown City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday night not to renew the contract of City Manager Mary Corriveau.
That's after it was discovered earlier this year that mismanagement at the city's parks and recreation department had cost the city thousands of dollars in unbilled usage of the ice arena and fairgrounds. more
We go into their area and harass them with tools like pyrotechnics, high powered lights, distress calls, remote-controlled aircraft.
(01/10/12) In Watertown, wildlife biologists will be out "crow hazing" tonight. They're trying to scare away the city's huge winter population of the birds. It's estimated there are as many as 30,000 crows roosting in Watertown right now. Nora Flaherty has more. more
They’re going to keep most capable, the most ready to be deployed... that defines Ft. Drum.
(01/06/12) President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced sweeping plans for the country's defense yesterday. The new strategy has to accommodate a half billion dollars in budget cuts. Among other strategies, it predicts "smaller conventional ground forces." And a shift of focus to Asia.
The Army's 10th Mt. Division has been among the most heavily deployed units as America fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were immediate concerns about what the new vision yesterday would mean for the Fort Drum. Julie Grant caught up with Congressman Bill Owens of Plattsburgh yesterday, and finds him optimistic. more
Year after year we keep adding to the physical plant here … and that all speaks to the enduring capacity and capability of Fort Drum.
(12/22/11) A $54 million federal appropriation will set off another round of construction at Fort Drum.
Some of the money will go toward new projects and some will go toward expansion of existing facilities. But overall, the award enables the continuing expansion of the Army Base. Joanna Richards reports from Watertown. more
All cougar cubs photos: Kurt Thomas Hunt, courtesy of NYS Zoo at Thompson Park
(12/15/11) A new cougar cub is making himself at home at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park in Watertown. For this Heard Up North, Joanna Richards got an intimate look at the young cat and spoke with the zoo's curator, Sue Sabik, about how he's growing up in his new home. more
The police department is going to... have an extra presence indefinitely, until we feel we're back to normal.
(12/15/11) Watertown police continue to work with the Watertown City School District to find out who threatened to bring a gun to school earlier this week. more
Sgt. Perkins receiving the Soldier's Medal Tuesday at Fort Drum. Photo: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on Facebook
(12/14/11) Fort Drum soldier Sergeant Jacob Perkins was awarded the Soldier's Medal Tuesday afternoon at the installation. The medal is given to soldiers for heroism outside the battlefield.
Sergeant Perkins came to the aid of a group of Canadian tourists in July, when their tour bus collided with a semi trailer on the Thruway in Waterloo, New York, between Syracuse and Rochester. Joanna Richards was at the ceremony at Fort Drum and has this report. more
 NEW: See the latest news, events, photos and blog posts from The Thousand Islands and Jefferson County on the map *For news, events and weather on the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands, visit the Region: Ontario & Quebec page.
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Community Calendar Events: Special Reports  Audio Slideshow:Soldiers learn to spot IEDs at Ft. Drum Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, kill more American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other weapon. David Sommerstein visits a hands-on IED training exhibit at Fort Drum near Watertown.  Audio Slideshow:Ian Coristine: Thousand Islands photographer Todd Moe visits photographer Ian Coristine on Raleigh Island, his seasonal home. River residents and visitors have probably seen Coristine aloft in his red ultralight aircraft searching the Thousand Islands for the perfect photo.  Audio Slideshow:The Slick of '76: Looking Back and Forward This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the “Slick of ‘76,” a 300,000-gallon oil spill in the heart of the Thousand Islands. The event re-shaped the way a generation views its relationship to the river. David Sommerstein reports.  Audio Slideshow:Chaumont Barrens: the North Country's Prairie David Sommerstein takes a nature walk on this unique Nature Conservancy land that contains some of the nation's easternmost prairie habitat.  Audio Slideshow:Aboad La Duchesse in Clayton La Duchesse is a 110-foot Gilded Age treasure that's become the crown jewel of the Antique Boat Museum's collection in Clayton. Todd Moe tours the historic houseboat.  Audio Slideshow:At a Grindstone Island Square Dance Only 11 people live on Grindstone all winter, but when the weather changes, families who’ve spent generations of summers there return. On Saturday nights, the place to be is the big dance at Dodge Hall, especially when some fiddlers and callers get together for an old-fashioned square dance.  Audio SlideshowPreserving the Indian River Lakes Between the high profile destinations of the Thousand Islands and the Adirondacks, there's a hidden gem of a region. It's called the Indian River Lakes. David SOmmerstein sends an audio postcard.  Audio SlideshowIraq Through a Camera Lens: Watertown Daily Times Photojournalist Mark Dye Mark Dye, a photojournalist with the Watertown Daily Times, spent a month in Baghdad earlier this winter. He was embedded with troops from Fort Drum, and sent daily photos and stories documenting the lives of soldiers and civilians in Iraq.  Audio SlideshowKayaking: The Blackwater Challenge The U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Team trials in preparation for the world championships this winter in Australia, was held on the "Route 3 Wave" on the Black River near Watertown. Kayakers have 45 seconds to add up points for each trick they make. If the whitewater flushes them downriver, they can paddle their way back to the wave until time runs out. David Sommerstein reports.  Animated Film Videos & Audio SlideshowArt Without Borders: Carmen D'Avino Carmen D’Avino began his career as a painter in the 1930s. He’s been a World War II military filmmaker, a sculptor, and an avant-guarde animator in New York City. For many years he lived in an old farmhouse in Hammond. David Sommerstein stopped by for a visit. This special report features nine videos of D'Avino's film work, most unavailable anywhere for decades. The artist died later in 2004.  Audio SlideshowThe Joy of Junk: Beachcombing with Captain Honk A North Country angler and artist who spends most of his time on Lake Ontario turns junk found along the shoreline into fish sculptures. It's just one of the hobbies that keeps Tom Bintz, aka Captain Honk, busy as he divides his time between fishing, travel, art and demolition derby competitions. 
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EssayInside Dark Island's Castle On the St. Lawrence River near Chippewa Bay, a representative for the buyers of Dark Island and its historic castle gave David Sommerstein a peek of what visitors could see as early as next summer. Adirondack News Fund Founding Supporters: Paul Smith's College, The College of the Adirondacks · Wildlife Conservation Society · Adirondack Medical Center Foundation · Adirondack Museum · Niagara Mohawk Foundation · Schumann Foundation · John A. Sellon Charitable Trust · several anonymous individual donors |
