Canton, NY, Jun 17, 2013 — Dairy farmers - and their workers - have a lot at stake in the immigration debate underway in Washington.

A survey by Cornell University found that 2,600 Spanish-speaking people work on New York dairy farms. Of them, two thirds or more are here illegally. That's in part because there's no visa program for the kind of year-round workers dairy farms need.

The Senate's reform plan offers dairy farms new options for a legal supply of immigrant labor.

Undocumented Latino workers are scattered on bunches of dairy farms in the North Country. David Sommerstein spoke with some of them to see what they think of immigration reform.  Go to full article

Jun 17, 2013 — Congress remains deeply divided over the shape of immigration reform. A split within the House GOP caucus endangers any kind of new legislation.

But let's imagine for a moment that the several thousand Latinos working on dairy farms in New York and Vermont could get legal working papers.

How would that change the region's rural communities?

Tom Maloney of Cornell University has been talking with dairy farmers and Latino dairy workers about this for years. He told David Sommerstein farmers are ready to guide their undocumented workers towards legal status.  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, May 01, 2013 — World-renowned soprano Lisa Vroman took a break from concerts and musical tours to return to her native North Country this spring.

Vroman, who grew up in Adams, just south of Watertown, and graduated from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, hosted a workshop for dozens of young singers in Lewis and Jefferson counties. The students auditioned before a panel of judges, including Vroman, in an event dubbed "Broadway Idol."

Some of the top students got an opportunity to sing on stage with Vroman at Lowville Academy as part of the Black River Valley Concert Series. Competition aside, for many of the students it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet a Broadway star with local roots.  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, Mar 19, 2013 — Earlier this year, Lewis County had the second highest unemployment rate in New York, behind the Bronx. But residents of Lewis County have a more positive economic outlook than they've had in years. That's according to a survey by Jefferson Community College.  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, Oct 19, 2012 — You may have heard about "food deserts", low income areas in cities where supermarkets won't open because they won't make enough money. Area residents struggle to find affordable and fresh fruits and vegetables. Food deserts are widely considered to be one cause of America's obesity epidemic.

It turns out rural areas have "food deserts", too - even when there's a roadside farm stand right down the road, and the USDA's food desert map shows much of the rural North Country falls into that category.

Cornell Cooperative Extension recently won a $96,000 grant to try to improve both consumer access to fresh fruits and vegetables and local farm production. Jefferson and Lewis County Extension Research Educator Amanda Root spoke with David Sommerstein.  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, Sep 13, 2012 — The largest cheesecake in the country will be the centerpiece of the 8th annual Lowville Cream Cheese Festival on Saturday. The event celebrates the region's dairy industry and the village's cream cheese plant. The day's events include music, activities for kids, contests, lots of food and the gigantic cheese cake. Todd Moe spoke with organizer Eric Virkler.  Go to full article

Aug 06, 2012 — Like many other local governments in New York, responding to the bizarre behavior of people using the drugs known as "bath salts," Lewis County is considering a ban on many of the compounds used in synthetic drugs. Reporter Joanna Richards spoke to Sheriff Michael Carpinelli about why the ban is needed. Joanna Richards reports.  Go to full article

Aug 03, 2012 — As our report from Albany today makes clear, country-run nursing homes are under pressure statewide. But the problem is particularly acute in rural areas where there aren't a lot of options for families that need nursing home care.

Adirondack Bureau Chief Brian Mann joins Martha Foley this morning to talk about the situation in the North Country, where county nursing homes from Lake Champlain to Lake Ontario face serious questions about the future.  Go to full article

Croghan, NY, Apr 05, 2012 — At one time, there were four mills located at the Croghan Dam, on each side of the Beaver River. John Martin is owner and operator of the last remaining, the Croghan Island Mill.

He specializes in custom windows and doors...things you can't get at Lowe's or Home Depot.
Up until the stop logs were removed from the dam, Martin's machinery was powered by water, which drove pulleys and belts in the historic mill. He's had to rely on electricty since then, but he's had to cut back.

Martin's glad the dam has been reclassified as a lower risk. "Hopefully we can go back to water power," he said, and "business will pick back up and I can get back to normal life again."
Martin gave David Sommerstein a tour of the mill a year ago.

Martin says his father bought the mill from Lehman & Zehr, the original owners, in 1969.  Go to full article

Watertown, NY, Mar 16, 2012 — Two North Country not-for-profit agencies will get nearly $500,000 from the Federal department of Housing and Urban Development, to fund programs for the homeless.  Go to full article