Dialing is going to be a pain, now that the 315 area code is getting full

No matter what happens, dialing telephone numbers in St. Lawrence County is going to be a pain two years from now.

That’s because we are either going to have to dial ten digits, even for local calls, or we will all get a new area code and have to inform everybody we know or do business with about the change.

The reason: the 315 area code is running out of telephone numbers. We’re using too many cell phones, fax machines, second lines and pagers.

The state Public Service Commission recently conducted hearings on the issue, including a session in Potsdam, to hear public comment on the issue. The PSC website explains the two basic choices available:

-- A “geographic split,” which would divide up the current 315 area code into two area codes. But since the original area code has traditionally been retained by the most populous area, the Syracuse region would keep 315 and we would get a new area code.

-- An “overlay,” which would allow all phone numbers in the 315 area code to remain the same. However, new phone numbers would have a new area code. And everyone, regardless of area code, would have to dial all ten digits for every call.

An extensive description of the options is also available at the PSC website.

At the hearing in Potsdam three weeks ago, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce opposed a new area code and endorsed the “overlay” plan. A number of St. Lawrence County businesses and institutions agree with that position. They say changing stationary, business cards, brochures, advertisements and other business materials to reflect the new area code could cost thousands of dollars. The price could even be hundreds of thousands of dollars for local colleges that print many brochures and publications designed to attract and inform students.

The Public Service Commission is continuing to accept comments from citizens, so everyone can have a say in the issue.

In a couple of years, we might find ourselves saying, “sorry, wrong number” a lot more frequently when we answer our phones.

Why are so rude and cruel when they submit comments online?

Why are so many people rude, crude and cruel when they submit comments online?

Patricia Beck, publisher of The Leader-Herald in Gloversville, recently objected to the phenomenon on her blog, Publisher's Point .

“I just cannot understand why individuals need to make a conscious choice to use their brainpower to communicate with hurtful, mean and even obscene words,” she wrote.

“Yes, you individuals who waste your precious gift of thought and intellect on being rude and negative - you do have the right. All I ask is for people to realize that words can be so very empowering and influencing.”

It’s a common problem nationwide, and we’ve experienced it a bit with this blog and at our website, NorthCountryNow.com .

Take, for instance, comments received in response to what was probably our most controversial blog entry, posted in March, “LGBT, Clarkson Both Share Responsibility For Coarse Language, Lack of Respect.” .

Now we don’t have any problem with people disagreeing with our point of view or complaining that a blog entry is not logical or “a reach.”

But we do have a problem when internet viewers make insults, use “put downs” or include foul language when making their points.

The problem also occurs sometimes when NorthCountryNow.com viewers add comments while participating in the “NCNow Survey” or submit entries for our anonymous "Sound Off" column.

At some newspapers across the nation, the “comment” feature has been turned off due to rampant misuse of the feature.

Our wish? That all who comment on web sites first review The Core Rules of Netiquette , as suggested by Beck.

“It's ironic, really. Computer networks bring people together who'd otherwise never meet. But the impersonality of the medium changes that meeting to something less -- well, less personal,” notes Netiquette.

People exchanging e-mail or commenting on websites “often behave the way some people behind the wheel of a car do: They curse at other drivers, make obscene gestures, and generally behave like savages. Most of them would never act that way at work or at home. But the interposition of the machine seems to make it acceptable,” says Netiquette.

“The message of Netiquette is that it's not acceptable. Yes, use your network connections to express yourself freely, explore strange new worlds, and boldly go where you've never gone before. But remember the Prime Directive of Netiquette: Those are real people out there.

“Ask yourself, ‘Would I say this to the person's face?’ If the answer is no, rewrite and reread. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you'd feel as comfortable saying these words to the live person as you do sending them through cyberspace.

"Of course, it's possible that you'd feel great about saying something extremely rude to the person's face. In that case, Netiquette can't help you. Go get a copy of 'Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior.'"

So here’s hoping the basics of Netiquette spread as internet continues to grow.

In the meantime, at NorthCountryNow.com, we have “delete” keys on our keyboards. And we’ll continue to use them when inappropriate submissions come our way.

Citing dairy farm benefits, McHugh votes for $307 billion farm bill, despite its flaws

Despite charges the 2008 U.S. farm bill contains too much “pork” and helps very rich agricultural producers at the expense of family farms, our Congressman, John McHugh, joined most of his peers and voted for the measure .

In explaining his vote, he cited the benefits to the nearly 2,000 dairy farms in New York State, many of which are located in the North Country.

McHugh, a Republican, noted the bill “extends and expands the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program, continues the Dairy Price Support and Dairy Indemnity Programs, and reauthorizes the Dairy Export Incentive Program - four programs critical to keeping New York's dairy farms economically stable and viable.”

Thursday (May 15), the Senate approved the $307 billion five-year farm bill, 81-15, “sending it to President Bush for what is expected to be his futile veto,” reported the New York Times .

Earlier, on Wednesday, McHugh and the rest of the House of Representatives approved the bill 318-to-106.

But the bill has come under attack for several reasons.

“Individual lawmakers, mostly senators, slipped several dozen "earmarks," or pet causes, into the … bill that have at best tentative connections to the tilling of the land,” reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune .

“There's tax breaks for horse owners, water for Nevada desert lakes, aid for the Pacific Coast salmon fishery industry and a crackdown on puppy trafficking.”

President Bush had wanted to drastically reduce subsidies to farmers because food prices are at record highs.

In addition, the Times reports, “Mr. Bush had sought an adjusted gross income limit of $200,000 above which farmers could not qualify for any subsidy payments. The bill passed by the Senate and House, however, allows farm income of up to $750,000 and non-farm income of $500,000 per individual.

The Times story continues, “The bill includes a $10.3 billion increase in spending on nutrition programs, including food stamps, that supporters called “historic,” as well as increases for rural development and land conservation programs.

McHugh cited the fact the bill creates a Northern Border Regional Commission, “which would invest in projects that benefit the economy of our region, especially economically distressed communities….It will be a significant instrument in propelling economic development in many localities that badly need aid. Each of the eleven counties I represent would be eligible for assistance under this program.”

Other benefits of the bill noted by McHugh include $466 million for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, $10 million annually for efforts to address Colony Collapse Disorder in honey bees, $1.19 billion for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, tax incentives for agricultural businesses to enhance chemical security, increases in he amount available for direct loans to farmers, and $120 million to fund pending rural infrastructure programs of importance which have proven to be very valuable to many communities in Central and Northern New York.

The New York Times noted the bill “also extends many existing federal subsidies that the president and other critics say are difficult to justify in such flush times for agricultural producers.

“The willingness of so many Republicans to break with the White House reflected both the strong support for the bill and a growing alarm among many lawmakers about their election prospects in November,” said the Times.

NCNow helps with St. Lawrence County website searches

Are you curious what your neighbor’s property taxes are? And whether they’ve paid them? The St. Lawrence County Tax Lookup Website can provide the answers.

Interested in finding historical photos of Massena? The North Country History Website by Connie Molnar Sterner might help you out. (There are lots of photos, so the page takes a while to download.)

Wondering where to buy a pair of sheepskin slippers? Ostrander’s Sheepskin Shop in Canton can help you out.

However, finding St. Lawrence County websites like these can be a hit-or-miss proposition when using the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

But NorthCountryNow.com can help. The site contains links to several thousand St. Lawrence County websites.

Unfortunately, many viewers don’t realize there are several ways to search for local websites on NorthCountryNow.com. So since this is the staff blog of NorthCountryNow.com, here are a few tips.

The first place to check is under the “Local Web Sites” heading in the blue toolbar on each page. Links are grouped by category and can be viewed by scrolling down each page.

Another way to search for St. Lawrence County websites is to use the “Search For Local Links” feature at the top of every page. It’s the bottom of the two search boxes and works best if you use just one word. For example, use the word, “taxes,” not “St. Lawrence County taxes.”

“Search for Local Links” was specially designed for NorthCountryNow.com by our website designers, Riverside Media Group of Clayton.

The “Search NCNow Using Google” feature, located above “Search for Local Links,” is great when you want to search the actual pages of NorthCountryNow.com, not search for links to local websites. For example, if you’re curious whether your child’s picture is located somewhere on our site, or has been mentioned in a news story, type in their name in “Search NCNow Using Google.”

And if you want to search the entire internet with Google, not just NorthCountryNow.com, uncheck the box with the green checkmark.

Happy searching!

Jeepers, Creepers, just listen to those Peepers

It’s been Spring Peeper season here in St. Lawrence County for several weeks now. Their high-pitched choruses can be heard throughout the rural areas of the North Country each evening.

But do you know what they are? We didn’t … until now.

They’re tree frogs, according to enature.com.

“They are especially easy to hear due to their extremely loud mating call which gives them the name ‘peeper,’ but it is often hard to pinpoint the source of the sound, especially when many are peeping at once, says wikipedia.

“The spring peeper eats small spiders and small insects such as ants, and water bugs,” the user-edited online encyclopedia says. Around here, “they breed from March to June when the warm rain starts.”

“Spring peepers typically lay around 900 eggs per clutch, but up to 1000 is possible. In very cold weather, they hibernate under logs and loose bark. Spring peepers are nocturnal frogs, so they are mostly heard but not seen.”

If you want to hear them indoors as well, the Wickipedia webpage entry includes audio of a single peeper, as well as a chorus of many.

Despite many low-end jobs, will residents endorse Brasher raceway?

Brasher Falls-area residents get their first chance tonight (May 8) to voice how they feel about construction of a massive auto racetrack in the Brasher Flats area.

A scoping session takes place at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Lawrence Central Elementary School cafeteria to gauge public sentiment about the proposal.

Each year, the proposed race track and casino resort would create 3,480 jobs and inject $165 million in direct and indirect economic activity in the region, a Chicago public relations firm hired by Northway Island Associates announced in December.

According to published reports, Northway wants to build a track with 120,000 seats, five hotels, a golf course, water amusement park, casino, equestrian center and an amphitheater, along with a quarter-mile drag strip. Apparently, most of the racetrack visitors would come from Montreal and Ottawa, not the U.S.

As big as it would be, the Brasher Falls facility would be no NASCAR track, which often have more than 100,000 seats.

During the six-year construction period, more than 12,000 jobs would be created, the developers say.

Certainly, economically depressed St. Lawrence County needs more jobs, especially with the closure of General Motors Central Foundry in Massena.

Unfortunately, the racetrack and entertainment complex would probably create primarily minimum wage and low-wage jobs. And many would probably not be full time.

The five hotels would need lots of chambermaids, waiters and waitresses, dishwashers, cooks, and front desk clerks. The golf course and water amusement park would most likely provide students with summer jobs manning the attractions.

At the racetrack itself, many of the jobs would be in food concessions and ticket booths. Janitors, parking attendants and security personnel would be needed. Only a few “white collar” and higher-wage positions would probably be available.

But something is better than nothing. And many would argue the jobs created would be more appealing than those that would follow if Bion succeeds in its plan for facilities to house 84,000 cows whose manure would be used to create ethanol as an alternative fuel.

Even though employment at the racetrack might end may up being “dead end” positions that help keep our population in poverty, the complex itself would provide prestige and visibility for our region.

And that could lead to something better. Would more development and better jobs follow?

Imagining the North Country with $8 per gallon gasoline

No doubt about, gas prices nearing $3.80 per gallon are really starting to hurt.

But what would the North Country look like if gas prices double again – to nearly $8 per gallon?

With China soon to become a larger consumer of petroleum than the U.S., continuing conflict in the oil-rich Mideast, and an increasingly weaker U.S. dollar, it could happen.

So here are our predictions for St. Lawrence County in a world where gasoline costs nearly as much as it already does in the Neatherlands .

 Compared to city-dwellers, we would be better off when it comes to creating our own electricity because so many of us own an acre or more of land. That means there is room for home-based solar panels or wind turbines that could allow more of us to live “off the grid” and avoid the higher electricity and heating oil bills.

 Property values in outlying communities farthest away from our county’s five major population centers -- such as South Colton, Russell, Hammond, Lawrence – would decrease. People would decide they can’t afford the $80 to $110 a week just to go to work and for necessary shopping and appointments. That would be especially true for those working in lower-income jobs.

 Property values in Potsdam, Ogdensburg, Massena, Gouverneur and Canton would rise because of greater demand as residents from “outlying” areas seek to live closer to their work.

 When it comes to heating our homes, North Country citizens will be in a better position than people in urban and suburban areas. While the price of cord wood would undoubtedly go up, there’s lots of it nearby and it will certainly be cheaper here than in areas where it has to be trucked in.

 Businesses that sell wood and pellet stoves, and contractors who install them, will experience a boom in business. So will firms that sell products and services to make our homes more energy-efficient.

 Local retailers might even benefit, because long-distance shopping trips to Plattsburgh, Watertown and Syracuse would no longer be worthwhile financially. So what disposable income is left after the car is gassed up would probably be spent locally, online or by catalogue, instead of in distant malls.

 Residents might spend their vacation dollars in St. Lawrence County instead of elsewhere. Those of us used to spending $2,000 to $3,000 to drive for a week’s vacation in Myrtle Beach might decide it’s not worth the $800 in gas. Imagine taking the money you would have spent on a vacation and enjoying it during a week off here in St. Lawrence County . You could enjoy restaurants, shopping, and buying a luxury item you otherwise would not have been able to afford.

 The number of people owning ATVs, snowmobiles and jet skis will drop, as operating them becomes more expensive

 Fewer high school students would own cars and would use the school bus instead. Sports teams might curtail games against distant opponents in favor of more contests nearby.

 Unfortunately, because our county is so spread out geographically, real, useful public transportation will still probably not succeed. But more of us might carpool, especially when job locations are far from home.

 And of course, our cars would become smaller. Have you looked at the Toyota Prius , one of the most popular hybrid cars that gets 44 to 60 miles per gallon, depending on testing method?

The Rusthon Memorial Canoe Races take place May 3 and 4, , drawing paddlers from throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The 47th annual event also provides an opportunity to recall one of Canton’s most famous citizens, J. Henry Rushton, who gained national fame for the smooth wooden canoes his business produced in Canton. Photos of the exterior and interior of his Canton canoe factory appear above, courtesy of Linda Casserly, Canton town and village historian.

However, there never would have been such a thing as a Rushton canoe, nor a Rushton Canoe Race, if the health of J. Henry Rushton hadn't taken a turn for the worse in 1873. Here is the Rushton story, as recalled in a special North Country This Week Canton Bicentennial issue published on March 28, 2005:

Rushton was born in Edwards in 1843 and spent his boyhood growing up in the country, with an appreciation of woods and stream. He was, however, no strapping youth but a "puny, stunted youth, frail and ailing, much in contrast to his four sturdy brothers and three sisters," according to a biographical sketch published in 1958 by Atwood Manley in The Quarterly a publication of the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.

Rushton was working as a clerk in a Canton shoe store when his health began to deteriorate in the 1870's. He decided to take to the Adirondacks to regain his health, a decision much in temper with the times. A book published by Rev. William Murray, "Adventures in the Wilderness," extolled the benefits for one's health for camping in the Adirondacks and took the public by storm.

First, Rushton decided he needed a canoe and elected to build one of cedar. The end product weighed only 20 pounds, a vast improvement over the heavy models of the day.

Rushton began work on his canoe in a barn on what is now Riverside Drive, and as luck would have it, his health improved while he was building the canoe. Within several years his business began to take off, and by 1881 he began building a factory of four stories at the intersection of Riverside and State.

The opening of the Adirondacks helped drive Rushton's business for the light-weight Rushton canoes that were ideal for the woodsmen and guides in the region.

Not only had canoe building improved Rushton's health and made him a successful businessman, it changed his life in other ways. Notes Manley: "Never was a man busier or happier. Rushton was riding the crest of the wave. He had married. Leah Pflaun was a dark-eyed beauty from Port Jervis, and became her husband's loyal helpmate."

Rushton built his business by displaying his canoe models outside the North Country. A display of the Rob Roy model in Philadelphia Sesquicentennial brought in the orders that helped build his new factory. A complete display of his models in 1893 at the Chicago Columbia World's Fair established his reputation.

Rushton's canoes, all cedar and "light as a feather," had gained and kept a reputation for their construction, sturdiness and ease of handling.

Rushton's success, according to Manley, rested on two facts: "Primarily, of course, it rested in the hustling, bustling personality of this diminutive human dynamo. Then there was the second factor, the period in which he lived. Hand-in-hand with the great surge of people into the Adirondacks came the popularity of the Thousand Islands. Millionaires were building palatial summer homes there…With a group of canoeing enthusiasts, J. Henry was a key figure in organizing the American Canoe Association which for years afterward held its annual gatherings at Eel Bay near Grindstone Island."

Rushton died in 1906 just about at the peak of the canoe building business. The popularity of the bicycle and the motorcar diverted the attention of many from canoeing. After 10 years of mounting costs and poor business conditions, the family turned the key in the canoe shop's door in 1916
.
While the business may have ended, the Rushton name has not disappeared. Building on a tradition, the first Rushton race was held in May 1962 and was won by Dwight Church and his son, David. It has since become an annual event.

Kudos to Alcoa for opening health fair to community

Kudos to Alcoa for opening its annual health fair in Massena to the public for the first last week.

Face-painting, a children's fire safety house, a state police rollover demonstration and an appearance by Al the Robot helped draw people to the event.

But many others came to hear doctors, dieticians and other health care providers give presentations on the warning signs of heart disease, early detection and prevention of cancer, high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, preventing injuries, stress management, headaches, asthma and colon screening and cancer.

The fair drew about 500 people on Friday, according to the Watertown Daily Times. More than that were expected Saturday. And we were glad to see the story indicated Alcoa plans another community health fair again next year.

As obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer prematurely shorten many people’s lives, citizens can certainly benefit from straight-forward medical information, as well as answers to their questions. Hopefully, as a result of the fair, more than one attendee is making lifestyle changes that will prolong their life or reduce the chance of medical complications.

A good idea, but local 'carrot' TV ads won't cure obesity

Local TV ads featuring a human-size carrot are encouraging St. Lawrence County residents to make better eating choices.

With the rampant obesity epidemic here and throughout the country, it’s a great idea. But, unfortunately, the ads are but a “drop in the bucket” compared to the extensive “pro-junk food” marketing our population faces daily.

First, the ads, created by the St. Lawrence County Health Initiative:

-- Carrot vs. Cookie TV Ad

-- Poor Carrot TV Ad

As becomes clearer almost daily, excess weight contributes to or aggravates many expensive-to-treat health problems, including diabetes, heart problems, cancer, depression, arthritis, bone strength and high blood pressure.

But daily, in Massena, Ogdensburg, Gouverneur, Canton or Potsdam, it’s nearly impossible not to pass by and possibly be drawn in to a McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Hut or other “fast food” restaurant. The grocery isles of “convenience stores,” increasingly patronized by people gassing up their car, have little in the way of nutritional foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole wheat products and items without sugar and white flour.

Even in public schools, students are subjected to many “junk food” items in the cafeteria lines and in vending machines in hallways. It’s nearly impossible to watch TV without viewing ads for junk food or fast food restaurant.

The big question: how do we educate people to appreciate the taste, nutrition and health benefits of “real” food? And how do we adapt our lives so that we have "good" food readily available when we would normally duck out for a "fast food fix?"

With two-income households the norm, many fewer people today really know how to cook than several decades ago; it’s so much easier to grab “take out” on the way home from work. And many people don’t realize the damage they are doing to their bodies by long-term consumption of junk food – studies indicate 80 to 90 percent of heart disease is self-inflicted due to poor eating and (non)exercise choices.

In some ways, a true conversion of our population’s eating habits would require a “Back to the Future” mentality – perhaps accepting less income in exchange for more time to cook and appreciating the benefits of teaching teens (female and male) how to cook so they’ll be less apt to buy junk food for their families when they have children. Schools, too, need to seriously educate students about nutrition – and rid cafeterias and hallways of junk food.

But sound nutrition isn’t just about getting rid of poor food. It’s about replacing it with great-tasting, well-maintained food.

Who wants to eat a dried-out carrot, a bruised pear, a mushy apple or soggy whole wheat sandwich?

Just as people need to learn how to choose and easily prepare nutritious foods to avoid obesity, stores, cafeterias and restaurants need to learn to better select, prepare and preserve quality foods and offer them at a reasonable price.

The St. Lawrence County Health Initiative Website describes the organization as a “community health improvement agency, founded in 1999, with the mission to measurably improve the health of county residents through a collaborative community effort.”

In addition to increasing opportunities for sound nutrition and physical activity, SLCHI concentrates on increasing access to healthcare for all county residents and promoting preventive health care; reducing the incidence of substance abuse through education, prevention and treatment opportunities, with a focus on youth tobacco cessation, the website says.

Major funding agencies include the state Department of Health, Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health, state Department of Health, Division of Nutrition, USDE Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, PEP Program, North Country PreNatal-Perinatal Council – Linkages Program, United Way of Northern New York, and the Edward I Moses Walk Run for Life. “Sustaining Member Organizations” include SUNY Potsdam, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Kinney Drugs, United Helpers and St.Lawrenc e County. The St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, Planned Parenthood of Northern New York and the Medical Society of St. Lawrence County also contribute.