St. Lawrence Valley NY

(02/08/12) A St. Lawrence County man plans to run as a Green Party candidate in the race for New York's 23rd Congressional District seat.

Donald Hassig lives in Colton. Since 2000 has run an advocacy group called Cancer Action NY, dedicated to stopping the spread of chemical carcinogens. He believes he's ready to challenge U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, a Democrat from Plattsburgh.

Hassig kicked off his campaign with a party in Potsdam that was attended by local Green Party members, college professors, students and friends. He said he doesn't expect to win the race but hopes to pull in at least 1,000 votes and spread more information about his fight against carcinogens.

Chris Morris has this profile. more

(02/08/12) The Grasse River Players' winter production of The New York Idea opens in Canton Thursday night as part of the annual Winterfest. Todd Moe talks with Libby Brandt and Carole Berard, two long-time members of Canton's community theater group, about the show.

The drawing room comedy was a Broadway hit back in 1906. It's been updated for modern ears by David Auburn. The play offers a slice of Manhattan's upper crust and tackles social change and those who can and cannot adapt. Carole and Libby talk with Todd about the joys of community theater and this latest production, starting with the play's opening scene.

(02/07/12) A St. Lawrence county not-for-profit organization is asking crafters to use their skills to help local people in need.

Alicia Murphy is coordinator of the new "community action angels" program in Canton. She says crafting for charity is nothing new. But people usually send the things they make elsewhere. more

(02/06/12) The top Roman Catholic official in the North Country is blasting the Obama administration for requiring churches to provide health insurance to employees that includes services such as contraception and sterilization. more

(02/03/12) Artists Matt Burnett and Scott Fuller are known for creating several large scale outdoor art installations from Long Lake to Canton in recent years. They're back again this winter, and despite a lack of deep snow, they've put together an outdoor show at SUNY-Potsdam that combines elements of winter, nature and projected images.

Matt Burnett, who lives in the Adirondacks, and his collaborator Scott Fuller, from Maine, used large snow sculptures as a canvas for video images in a large scale outdoor exhibit at St. Lawrence University last year. They worked on similar outdoor art projects in Saranac Lake and Long Lake.

They launched their outdoor "E-Fraction" show last night on the SUNY Potsdam campus. It will be illuminated nightly on campus through the middle of next week. Todd Moe has a preview. more

(02/03/12) Thursday was Groundhog day, and Punxsutawney Phil tells us there'll be six more weeks of winter.

But for the North Country, winter doesn't really seem to have started yet: rain instead of snow, temperatures that have often been unseasonably warm, and a real lack of snow.

Nora Flaherty put in a call to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Brooke Taber says there a few things going on. First, the polar jet stream is farther north than usual, and so far this winter, the North Country has been on the warmer side of the air flow.

(02/03/12) Winter carnivals fill the February calendar in the North Country. This year, continuing mild weather is proving a real challenge for towns whose annual winter festivals normally punctuate a cold, snowy season.

The WinterXcape Winterfest in Lowville was cancelled when heavy rains washed away most of their snow this week. But despite widespread rain and warm temperatures most festivals are still ago. Trevor Alford reports. more

(02/03/12) A new plan for controlling water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River will be the main agenda item at Save the River's annual conference at the Clayton Opera House this weekend.

The new plan allows water levels to stay high (or low) for longer periods than the current plan does. The more natural fluctuations are intended to restore diversity in the shoreline ecosystems. Martha Foley has more. more

(02/02/12) There were clear skies, cool temperatures...and a woodpile. A perfect combination for our Heard Up North.

(02/01/12) A new photo exhibit in Potsdam connects art, music, gardens and friendship. Photographer Jane Lammers spent time last spring, summer and early fall in the perennial gardens of three North Country friends.

She also assembled a playlist of music to accompany her exhibit, Perennial Bliss. It includes music by Jean-Pierre Rampal, Yo-Yo Ma and James Galway. The eight photos in the exhibit follow the seasonal flow in flower gardens.

Todd Moe spoke with Jane Lammers about gardens, photography and music. Her show is up through the end of the month at First Crush Bistro in Potsdam.