Journal:Doheny Rakes In Big-Money Donations

Matt, Ready to Make a Move

Matt is gearing up for the 3rd time as he plans another run for New York's 23rd district. With the district lines still in question, will he be able to take Owen's Congressional Seat. He has money and many friends with deep pockets, which is a major criteria when running for political office.

Will he have an opposition from the Conservative Party this time?

Journal Matt

Journal:Knox House Rent Could Be $198

Now the City is Competing with the Landlords

What is next? Enough Said!

Journal $198.00

Journal:Vernsey Issues School Budget Caution

Money Money Money....Kids Kids Kids

Mr. Vernsey and the rest of the staff are not going to pull a rabbit out of a hat but they should all be able to pull more money out of their pockets. We face a $1.5 million dollar deficit and this is after dipping into $1.8 million from the fund balance.

The BOE negotiated that last contract, giving raises to staff every year of their contract; that does not take into consideration the built in raises they get every year.  In return they had to pay a token amount for their health insurance. How much did the district save on health insurance from last year? It appears not enough!

It would not be right to blog about the school system if I did not say "It is all about the KIDS". It appears to me it is all about the money and by the time Mr. Vernsey retires, with his lucrative buy out, there will not be no fund balance.

Journal School Budget

Journal:City To Consider Knox Street House Sale

Do We Have Good Business Sense?

The sale of this house for $51 K twist my mind out of shape. Why would anyone put over $80K of rehab money into a house then sell it for $30 less? What kind of business sense does this make? The Knox Street property, has become a complex problem with many people making mistakes. They say, for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.  Appears we got our fair share of wrong answers.

Giving a family the full purchase price of a house seems very wrong. It may meet the grant regulations but someone was acting like God with tax payers money. The first time homeowner loan program is to be a helping hand but in this case it appears to be a handout.  This whole process is flawed and the City needs to have oversight of this program.   

Journal Knox.

Journal:Oxley Trial Judge Issues Website Warning

Oxley's Freedom is on Trial Again

The trial is underway.  New attorney, new investigators, and another big bill for the County. Enough said!

Journal:City May Pay To Fire Sciorra Tonight



Couple New Resolutions Could Resolve

Now that the elections are over, no one has a vested interest in following through with firing the City Manager. City Council read the report on how the Knox Street property was handled and they passed a resolution to fire the City Manager.

I was at the last meeting and Mr. Sciorra shifted the blame and it appeared he put doubt in Council's eyes on an easy way out of this mess. Well with the new resolutions on the table it appears money has replaced doubt. I predicted this deal as did many of the readers did...so goes for open government because we will never know the outcome of this payoff.

Journal Pay Sciorra

Journal:Three More Oxley Jurors Get Selected

We Already Know

With the Oxley trail underway...except for Wayne, Nicole, and Jerry is anyone paying attention this time? How can they find a juror that has not already made their mind up on his guilt or innocents in this County? If that is the case, I believe we will have another mistrial with a hung jury.  Unsolved murder is getting to be a common story line in Ogdensburg.

 Journal Oxley

Journal:Ice Storm Blasts NNY

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Yes, the first real storm of the season and it waited until the New Year. Yesterday, ice and rain and today, snow and wind what more could the North Country ask for. We have had an exceptionally mild winter, we could still see the grass throughout the county until today.

The lack of snow has been an economic disaster for tourism. Snowmobiling and Skiing has taken the hardest hit. With tight budgets and little profit margins losing 2 months on the ski slopes and the snowmobile trails could be the end of many small businesses.  Too little or too much snow can have devastating effects on the area's economy. Don't fool with Mother Nature!

Journal Snow

Journal:Council Takes No ActiononSciorra

Now we have to Decide!

Well the open hearing for suspended City Manager Sciorra did not go very smooth for City Council!  If Council thought Mr. Sciorra was going down without a fight they were wrong.  Mr. Sciorra defended his position by pointing out the many violations to his contract and sections of the City Code made by City Council.  I wonder if any of them have ever read the contract for City Manager let alone the City Code. 

Well, we sit and wait...what deal will they agree upon and of course it will be confidential because it pertains to an employee. Time will tell, but do not hold your breath.

Journal No Action

Journal:Bluegrass Concert To Begin Heuvelton Snowflake Festival

Snowflake Festival Next Weekend in Heuvelton

Heuvelton has planned a Blue Grass Festival surrounded by food, games, a movie, quilt show and a dodge ball contest, this event can only add up to a good time. Looking for a little family fun take the short drive to Heuvelton and experience the Snowflake Festival next weekend.

Jan. 13:

Friday (all events at Heuvelton Central School):

4 to 6 p.m. - Spaghetti dinner to benefit the school's Senior Parents Committee
6        p.m. - Girls basketball game, Heuvelton vs. Clifton-Fine
5 to 8 p.m. - Mini carnival in the cafeteria to benefit Heuvelton Leos Club
6 to 8 p.m. - Free movie in the nook room sponsored by St. Lawrence County Reality Check
7 to 9 p.m. - Grassroots Acoustics Bluegrass show at Pickens Hall

Jan. 14:

10 a.m. to noon - Snowflake making workshop at Pickens Hall
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.- Quilt show at Pickens Hall sponsored by the Heuvelton Library ($2 admission)
1   p.m.- Poker run at the Inn on the Greens 1 to 3 p.m. - Open skating at the rink, snowman making contest and free refreshments. Sponsored by St. Lawrence County Reality Check and the Heuvelton Parent-Teacher Association.
1 to 7 p.m. - Dodge ball tournament at the school sponsored by the junior class.
1 to 3 p.m. - Dance workshop at Pickens Hall
3 to 5 p.m.- Old-time dancing at Pickens Hall
4 to 6 p.m. - A $5 Soup and sandwich dinner at the Heuvelton Fire Station sponsored by the Lions Club.
Horse-drawn wagon rides will be offered at Pickens Hall by Melissa Hays

Jan. 15:

8:30 a.m. - Breakfast at Amvets Post 11

 Come and Experience A Little of Heuvelton's Hospitality

Journal Snowflake

Journal:City Police Seek Investigation Help

We Could Use a Few in Ogdensburg

Well we can add one more to the long list of felonies that have occurred in Ogdensburg. Some of her actions raise questions that make the police want to contact the two females that picked her up walking home. Why not call from Dixie Lee? Why walk all the way home and tell something to two strangers that offered her a ride? Hopefully the two woman can answer these questions.

Will this go as another unsolved case or maybe she knew the person and is not willing to identify him. This needs to be resolved and the DA's offices needs to set an example by prosecuting a few and not plead everything down.

650 Summons!!!!

Well the DA will have her hands full with the Oxley trial on the horizon.  They asked him to plead guilty with time served but he turned down the offer.  With 650 jury summons in the mail, I wonder if they can find anyone in the County that has not come to a conclusion on Oxley's guilt or innocents.

Journal Article Dixie

Journal Article Oxley

Big Day January 4th - State of the State Address

State of the State Address

Those that wanted to attend the State of the State Address could have registered on-line for tickets through the Governor's Office.  This should be an interesting year, with a smaller deficit, with mandate relief hanging in the scales, with the unions crippled, the challenge of redistricting, and to top it all off It Is Another Election Year. Should be a bloggers dream come next spring. 

Happy New Year.

The Giants Do It Sunday Night

                      Giants Win NFC East (Photo/Julio Cortez)

Eli Manning had a great game and Cruz added the knock-out punch.  With a 21 point lead going into the second half Dallas tried to rally.  A 44 yard pass to Cruz knock the wind out of Dallas' attempt to come back in the second half. 

Cruz last game ended with 6 catches, 178 yards and a TD. Manning 346 yards, 24/36, and 3 TDs.  Born tomorrow, Jan 3, Eli got an early birthday present.  Good luck against the Falcons next Sunday at 1 pm.

Journal:How One House Led To Big Problems

No News Is Good News

How many times is the Journal going to beat the Knox Street issue in the head. Nothing new has developed and we are going to rehash a story everyone in the City is aware of. Must be the only thing to report on. This needs to take its course and we need to move on!

Journal Rehashes Knox Street

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year - 2012