An organizational meeting for the Boonville Farmers' Market will be held Thursday. Organizers will hold the meeting at 7 p.m. at the Exhibit Hall at the Oneida County Fair Grounds. The Market will start its 4th year on June 20th in a new location. After previously being held along the canal behind the Nice 'n' Easy, the Farmers Market will now be held at the Fairgrounds. The organizational meeting will give vendors the opportunity to see the new site location as well as announce special Market events that will be held during the season and to welcome new vendors to the Market. The meeting is open to the public. Previous vendors as well as anyone who is interested in becoming a vendor should plan to attend.
Initial work on the Lewis County General Hospital Dialysis Project will begin this week. Hospital officials have awarded contracts to construct an addition to the Medical Arts Building that will accommodate an eight station outpatient clinic, with a full basement, and include a new entrance into the main lobby area. Approximately 1000 square feet of adjoining space in the Medical Arts Building will also be renovated and included in the Dialysis Suite. The project's general contractor and a crew from National Grid are scheduled to start work on the project today with the work site to be secured in a temporary fenced enclosure to secure the site and start work on installing underground storm drainage infrastructure. Pedestrian traffic will be barricaded from the work zone throughout the duration of the project & will result in the loss of a few handicap parking spots. Handicap parking will remain available in the main entrance and on the number three road side just outside the Children's Clinic/Rehab entrance. In addition, the capability to drive across campus from NYS Route #26 to the Number 3 Road will be periodically interrupted when excavations are underway. The construction goals are to have the new addition weathered in by October, with interior finish work and installation of dialysis equipment planned to be completed by February. The final operating and construction acceptance approvals are expected to allow opening in the March – April time frame of 2014.
Members of Congressman Bill Owens' staff will hold meetings on Tuesday in the local area in an ongoing effort to increase constituent outreach. Constituents are encouraged to attend to seek help with a federal agency or express an opinion on a matter currently pending before the House of Representatives. The Congressman's staff will be at the Old Forge Library from 9:30-11:30 a.m., the Port Leyden Community Library from 1-2:30 p.m., & the Lowville Free Library from 3-5 p.m.
We speak with Beaver River Central School Superintendent Lueen Smithling, who has more on the positions that may be added in the proposed school budget.
A 23 year old Boonville man was in Oneida County Court for sentencing on a charge of criminal possession of marijuana. Nicholas Pohoreskey was sentenced by Judge Michael Dwyer to one year in county jail on the charge. Also in Oneida County Court, 32 year old Mark Lieber & 30 year old Tonya Weber, who are from the address in Boonville, were each ordered to pay a $250 fine, $250 surcharge and had their licenses suspended for six months on a charge of fourth-degree possession of marijuana.
An earthquake centered near Ontario, Canada was felt throughout the North Country yesterday. The U.S. Geological Service reports an earthquake of a magnitude of 5.0 was recorded 43 miles northwest of Ottawa, Ontario, at 9:43 a.m., adding that the quake originated 3.1 miles deep into the earth. There have been no reports of damage, either in the North Country or in Canada. People from throughout the listening area reported feeling the quake.
The Town of Lowville is working on a law that would ban commercial manure digesters. The move comes after a Florida company wanted to build a plant last year that would convert manure and food waste into methane gas. That project was rejected on a zoning issue and the town council has expressed concern over large, commercial digesters coming into the area. The proposed new law would allow manure digesters on farms, as long as they do not accept outside waste. The town council is expected to pass the law next month.
Work on a major road section in Lewis County will begin next week. The New York State Department of Transportation will be paving on State Route 26 beginning on Monday & is expected to be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting. Work will begin near the intersection of the State Routes 26 & 410 and will end near the intersection of State Routes 26 & 126 in West Carthage. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers and pilot vehicles. Motorists should expect minor delays.
