A night on the river

April 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

‘Celebrity Chefs’ Event’ to benefit North Country Children’s Clinic

Local quilter Mary Knapp has donated one of her handmade quilts to this year's "Night on the River" silent auction, to raise money for the North Country Children's Home. Photo by Norm Johnston/NNY Living.

A popular spring event returns to the Clayton Opera House Friday, May 10.

North Country Children’s Clinic will hold its annual Celebrity Chefs’ Event, offering guests a gala river evening that includes a silent auction and food from the recipe files of some of the region’s most notable cooks.

This year’s culinary offerings are some of the favorite dishes of Coyote Moon Vineyard’s Phil and Mary Randazzo, USO’s Karen Clark, Samaritan Medical Center Foundation Director Beth Fipps, Freeman Bus Corporation and Clarence Henry Coach’s Rob Freeman, Timeless Frames’ Lisa Weber, and Bernier Carr’s Bernie Brown and his wife, Beverly.

To add to the festive atmosphere, the evening will feature “celebrity waiters,” including past recipients of NNY Business magazine’s “20 Under 40” honor, Jefferson Leadership Institute alumni, and other influential community members.

One of the evening’s highlights will be a silent auction that includes unique items donated by north country residents and businesses. Of particular note is “River Trees,” a 58-by-27-inch quilted wall hanging created by award-winning Watertown artist Mary B. Knapp. [Read more...]

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Father, daughter to deploy with 10th Combat Aviation Brigade

April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael A. Mogg and his daughter, Spc. Miranda A. Mogg, will soon deploy together with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade to Afghanistan. They serve in the brigade’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Photo by Norm Johnston/Watertown Daily Times.

FORT DRUM — When Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael A. Mogg receives briefings during his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, they could come from a close source — his daughter.

Spc. Miranda A. Mogg, an intelligence analyst, will deploy with the brigade.

“For once she gets to tell me what to do,” joked Mr. Mogg, the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade’s master gunner. [Read more...]

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Community Foundation establishes second youth philanthropy council

April 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

POTSDAM — Philanthropy is a trend in Northern New York growing just as popular with youths as fashion and social media.

Teenagers’ desire to help their neighbors and improve their communities has spread throughout Jefferson County over the past three years since the establishment of the Northern New York Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council at Watertown High School, and more schools want to become involved. Because of that, the Community Foundation has dedicated an additional $10,000 to establish a second Youth Philanthropy Council, this time at Potsdam Central School. The total awarded for the 2013-14 school year is $20,000, with the other $10,000 for recommendations to be made by the Watertown council.

“We’ve met with administration at the (Potsdam) school, and the plan is to have representatives from the Watertown council — both students and advisers — go to the school to help work with them to develop a model to work with,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director.

Potsdam Central High School students will be selected for the new council by the end of this school year, and the hope, Mr. Richardson said, is to have the council begin work by the start of the next school year. He said that although the model at Watertown High School has worked well, the foundation hopes to empower Potsdam Central students to design their own program.

Potsdam Central High School Principal Joann M. Chambers said more information will be given to faculty at a meeting today.

“I just see so much potential in this, certainly in the leadership development opportunities for our students,” she said. These kinds of opportunities are what keep kids engaged in school. This is real. They’re given an adult task here.”

Potsdam Central was chosen as the St. Lawrence County Youth Philanthropy Council site since the foundation already has a partnership with the district. The Potsdam Educational Opportunities Fund, which is administered by the foundation, was established last year to support enhancements to the school.

Because schools have seen the success of the Youth Philanthropy Council in Watertown, their students, too, want in on the action. The Community Foundation is exploring how to include delegates from other schools, but Mr. Richardson said the foundation also doesn’t want the councils to grow too much too quickly.

“I think I echo sentiments of the board when I say this is the most well-received program we’ve had the past five years,” he said.

Through the Youth Philanthropy Council in Watertown, students have made recommendations totaling $22,500 to the foundation’s board of directors. Projects supported through those recommendations, which were approved by the board, include improvement to sports fields, hemoglobin machines for school-based health centers, playground construction, and upgrading of space at local nonprofits, among many other categories. [Read more...]

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Summer lineup at the Clayton Opera House

March 18, 2013 By 1 Comment

Comedian Rob Schneider kicks off the summer season at the Clayton Opera House on June 20. Photo courtesy Neil Visel Photography.

CLAYTON — When officials at the Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund were planning the summer 2013 season for the Clayton Opera House, some good-natured debate broke out.

“Each year, the shows seem to be getting bigger with more national names,” said TIPAF Executive Director Joseph M. Gleason. “There was some debate whether we wanted to continue that or stick with smaller shows and more of them.”

A compromise was struck. [Read more...]

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Clayton Opera House, TIPAF director rediscovers his artistic stride

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

‘We try to make everybody welcome here at the opera house,’ says Joseph M. Gleason, Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund executive director. Photo by Justin Sorensen/Watertown Daily Times.

CLAYTON — Joseph M. Gleason has found his stride again as theater manager.

You could see it in the swift way he moved from his third floor office to the first floor stage of the Clayton Opera House on the morning of March 8 as he and a crew prepared for the first show of the spring season. Questions were answered and directions given. Within the hour, students in grades 3 to 5 from three schools were to burst through the doors for Garry Krinsky’s “Toying With Science” matinee. [Read more...]

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Maggie Rizer welcomes second baby boy

March 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy Instagram/Maggie Rizer.

Late Friday evening supermodel, and north country native, Maggie Rizer took to her Instagram and Twitter accounts to announce the birth of her second baby boy, Quinnlann Clancy Mehran.

Ms. Rizer posted a photo, left, with the caption “Our little Mighty Quinn.”

Quinn is Ms. Rizer’s second child with husband Alex Mehran. Ms. Rizer gave birth to son Zander  on Nov. 23, 2011. The family splits their time between their homes in San Francisco and outside of Sackets Harbor on the shores of Lake Ontario. [Read more...]

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Alexandria Central student heads to national bee — again

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Dylan J. O’Connor spells one of his final words before winning the Scipps Regional Spelling Bee on Tuesday night at General Brown. Photo by Justin Sorensen/Watertown Daily Times.

DEXTER — “Bambino” made Dylan J. O’Connor, 12, a winner.

That was the word that is sending the Alexandria Central School sixth-grader to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., after he won Tuesday’s regional contest at General Brown Junior-Senior High School. [Read more...]

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11th annual One Night, One Diamond to fund robotic surgery equipment

March 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment

FORT DRUM — Because the Samaritan Auxiliary recognizes that health care technology advances quickly, its members have decided the proceeds of its upcoming major fundraiser will benefit further investment in the daVinci Robotic Surgery Program.

Proceeds of the “One Night, One Diamond” fundraiser from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. March 23 at the Fort Drum Commons will fund the purchase of more trays of equipment for the hospital’s $2.5 million robotics system.

“They wanted to have this equipment available to do additional surgeries,” said Irene C. Carman, event chairwoman. “The turnaround time isn’t as quick as other surgeries.”

Samaritan spokeswoman Krista A. Kittle said that is because one cart of equipment is shared among participating specialty physicians. More trays of equipment means less wait time between robotic-assisted and other surgeries since different specialties and procedures may require different tools.

Mrs. Carman, wife of Samaritan Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Thomas H. Carman, said that while the auxiliary typically has a hard time selecting an item from the hospital’s approved capital budget to fund, choosing to support robotics-assisted surgery was easy. She said that was because robotics is new and exciting to the community.

Not all cases in urology, gynecology, general, thoracic or otolaryngology surgery will require, or be eligible for, assistance of the daVinci system. However, urologist Alejandro R. Rodriguez, director of robotics and minimally invasive surgery, said more than 40 surgical cases have been completed with the daVinci system since November. Since Jan. 1, two surgeries with the system have been scheduled weekly in urology alone, he said.

“We’ve done all major procedures using robotics,” said Dr. Rodriguez, chief of urology and urologic oncology. “It’s been a total success.”

The system allows the physician to perform more precise surgery with smaller incisions and less bleeding. Patients also heal faster.

The hospital also recently acquired a simulator so robotics-trained physicians can practice with the equipment.

Dr. Rodriguez said the cutting-edge technology of the robotics system is now fully equipped at Samaritan, and the 253-member auxiliary’s help will further enhance the service.

“One Night, One Diamond” will feature dining, dancing to music performed by Atlas and a chance to win a half-carat diamond donated by Waterbury Fine Jewelers, Watertown. Guests also may win a two-night getaway donated by Lake Placid’s Mirror Lake Inn.

Presenting sponsors include Dr. Deborah Norris and her husband, Lawrence; Purcell-Lecesse Construction and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Media sponsors include 7 News WWNY/Fox 28 WNYF and the Watertown Daily Times.

Top sponsors include Coca-Cola Co., F.X. Caprara Car Companies-the Caprara Family, Hancock Estabrook law firm, KeyBank, Pepsi of Watertown, Renzi Foodservice and Waste Management. Dozens of other sponsors also support the event.

Tickets are $150 per couple and should be reserved by March 13. Tickets can be purchased at the gift shop inside the hospital, 830 Washington St.

For more information, visit www.samaritanhealth.com.

-Rebecca Madden, Watertown Daily Times staff writer

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Potsdam model walks runways in New York, Milan

February 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Margaret J. Maurer was manager at the Isle of You boutique, Potsdam, before a friend sent photos of her to a Toronto modeling agency which recruited her for top runway gigs. Photo by Tom Newton/Special to the Watertown Daily Times.

POTSDAM — Margaret J. Maurer has been swept up from her modest life in Potsdam onto runways in New York, Milan and Paris.

Ms. Maurer, 25, was one of the models for Calvin Klein’s latest fashion line, strutting the stage during New York Fashion Week on Valentine’s Day.

She worked as manager at the Isle of You boutique on Market Street until the call came from the Elmer Olsen modeling agency in Toronto in January. Her first job came just a few weeks later.

Her mother, Pamela J. Maurer, remembers getting a call from Margaret at 6 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday: “Mom, I have to be in New York tomorrow.” [Read more...]

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SUNY Potsdam student recalls Oscars experience

February 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

SUNY Potsdam theater major ChaRon Brabham poses during the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, Calif. Ms. Brabham was selected to help hand out Oscars after winning a short film contest.

POTSDAM — It was a golden moment for ChaRon Brabham, and she earned it.

The SUNY Potsdam theater student enjoyed a fairytale weekend in Hollywood which culminated in an onstage experience at the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony.

Ms. Brabham was among six college awards presenters selected through the national Oscar Experience Talent Search, sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU. [Read more...]

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