Seaway 50th: A plea for a royal visit, in vain

On June 26, 1959, Queen Elizabeth II of England and President Dwight Eisenhower boarded the royal yacht Brittania in Massena. They were the first to enter the locks on the St. Lawrence River and officially open the Seaway. This summer marks the 50th anniversary of that day. There'll be celebrations, also criticisms and moments of reflection, recognizing how the Seaway forever changed the face of the North Country. Some students at Massena's middle school were hoping for a repeat royal visit. In January, Nancy Bogosian's history class wrote letters to Queen Elizabeth urging her to return to Massena this summer. Here are some of those students reading excerpts from their letters.