Jun 10, 2013 — Several hundred giant freighters slip through the St. Lawrence Seaway every year. They're guided by vessel traffic controllers from a squat building on top of the Eisenhower Lock in Massena.

The master control room looks straight out of Star Trek. Half a dozen big flat screens show computerized displays of real-time traffic along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.  Go to full article

Jun 07, 2013 — A new millionaire was crowned in St. Lawrence County Thursday. Retired Hammond school cafeteria worker Joyce Wood won $2 million in the Powerball lottery, and TV legend Yolanda Vega of the New York Lottery was there to deliver the oversized check.  Go to full article

May 31, 2013 — In the beginning of last century, a blight wiped out almost all of the chestnut trees, and today you're almost as likely to come across a unicorn as you are a fully grown, productive American Chestnut Tree.

One of those "unicorns" is in North Russell, planted twenty-seven years ago by Todd and Nancy Alessi. In bloom, it looks right out of a Doctor Seuss book: with flowers, called catkins, like white pipe cleaners. Todd and Nancy invited reporter Natasha Haverty to their chestnut tree flowering party.  Go to full article

May 10, 2013 — Spring means life on St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands is coming back to life. One of the region's anchor destinations, the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, opens for the season this weekend.

Fritz Hager is the museum's executive director. "We've got a lot going on here. We've got a lot of boats under restoration here," says Hager, "including our gigantic 110-foot houseboat, La Duchesse, which will be in restoration for a couple of years. So there's always a lot going on here boat-building wise. We also have boat rides, sailing classes, and other educational programs, and it all starts on Friday."  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Feb 19, 2013 — If you're one of the many cross-country skiers who enjoys the perfectly groomed trails on St. Lawrence University's golf course in Canton, here's the guy you want to thank.

Pete Ames is the chief engineer at the Best Western hotel. He volunteers every winter to lay 13 miles of trail with a snowmobile. David Sommerstein came across him while on a ski recently and has this Heard Up North.  Go to full article

Glens Falls, NY, Feb 18, 2013 — The US Postal Service lost another $1.3 billion in the last few months of 2012.

As a result, many rural post offices across the North Country are expected to see their hours cut back to half a day, opening from 8 am until noon.

It's also likely that Saturday home delivery will be ended nationwide as part of cost-cutting measures.

In all, the Postal Service plans to cut hours at more than 9,000 rural post office nationwide -- a move that is expected to phase out roughly 21,000 jobs.

North Country Congressman Bill Owens has blasted he move, arguing that families in small towns "depend on" the post office more than residents in urban areas.

In today's Heard Up North, reporter Jon Alexander set out to talk with people about how the cuts in service might affect them.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Dec 03, 2012 — Yoga has become popular in the North Country among adults, and especially senior citizens. Now, instructor Sarah Scafidi-McGuire has started teaching yoga to to the younger set, in a class she calls Little Lotus, for toddlers.  Go to full article

Heuvelton, NY, Nov 30, 2012 — Traditional Arts in Upstate New York opens its 10th annual Gingerbread Contest and Exhibit Saturday in Canton. The Pierce family of Heuvelton will have an entry, just like every other year the contest has been around.

Julie Grant met recently with Carolyn Pierce and a handful of her seven children, who range in age from seven to 20. Reggie, the oldest, is now in college. He was 10 the first year they entered. That year they attempted a gingerbread replica of their church in Heuvelton.

In the years that have followed, they've made the Remington Tavern, the Quiltmaker's gift castle, and their own barn. They've even won the TAUNY contest a few times.

Mother Carolyn Pierce says it was Aunt Eloise, also known as Faye White, who first encouraged them to get into gingerbread making.  Go to full article

Clayton, NY, Oct 25, 2012 — In today's Heard Up North, we meet a woman who's one of the last experts in ecclesiastical embroidery in America. Emily Holt has spent 60 years illuminating church altars and vestments with specialized and painstaking hand-work.

Martha Foley visited her summer work space in the Thousand Islands, where she was finishing up her latest project. After two and a half years of work, she hopes to have a reproduction of an altarpiece for her church done for Christmas.  Go to full article

Oct 18, 2012 — At McBrier Park Manor, a retirement community in Hermon, the common room is simply laid out: a sofa, a few chairs, a table, and a TV. But every closet and set of drawers is packed to the brim with boxes of jigsaw puzzles.  Go to full article