(Alexandria Bay, NY – Aug. 10, 2011) The New York State Police in Alexandria Bay are currently investigating a possible scuba diving accident that occurred just prior to noon Aug. 10 in the St. Lawrence River.

At 11:55 a.m. Jefferson County 911 dispatch was contacted by the United States Coast Guard at Wellesley Island (Town of Alexandria) regarding three divers in distress in the main channel off of Wellesley Island. A Coast Guard vessel subsequently transported the three divers to the village of Alexandria Bay where they were transferred to police and EMS personnel. All three divers were transported to River Hospital in the village of Alexandria Bay.

Initial investigation reveals the three men were diving in approximately 200 feet of water on the wreck of the Roy A. Jodrey, a 700-foot long vessel that sank adjacent to the Coast Guard station on Wellesley Island in 1972, when Michael K. Roberts began to display signs of distress. Blair C. Mott and Christopher D. Monk attempted to assist Roberts in reaching the surface of the river. Upon surfacing, all three men were spotted by Coast Guard personnel who were able to provide immediate assistance.

Michael K. Roberts, 39, 158 Fairview Road Kingston, Ontario was pronounced dead at River Hospital in Alexandria Bay. The cause and manner of death is pending an autopsy at Samaritan Medical Center.

Blair C. Mott , 42, of 29 Landsdown Komoka, Ontario was treated at River Hospital and transferred to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse for decompression treatment.

Christopher D. Monk, 33, 136 Orchard Heights Aurora, Ontario was treated at River Hospital and released.

(Alexandria Bay, NY - June 21, 2011) State Police in Alexandria Bay arrested 33 year-old, Gary A. Collins of 43812 Stine Road, Redwood Tuesday morning at his residence.  He was charged with Felony Aggravated Cruelty to an Animal and as an Absconder from New York State Division of Parole.

State Police Investigators accuse Collins of brutally beating a dog to death with a claw hammer on March 21, 2011.  The husky/shepherd mix belonged to his sister-in-law, Brandy Collins of the same address.

State Police had an arrest warrant issued by the Town of Alexandria court after the dog’s remains were examined by a veterinarian at the North Country Animal Health Center in Watertown. It was determined after a necropsy examination that the dog suffered skull fractures and a tracheal rupture, consistent with what was reported to the Troopers in March.

NY State Parole charged Collins as an absconder after repeatedly not reporting to that office as required or notifying officers of his whereabouts. Collins allegedly lived in the woods in the Alexandria Bay/Redwood area for several months, knowing authorities were looking for him.

Collins was taken into custody at the Stine Road address in the early morning on June 21 by State Police and Parole Officers. He was arraigned before Town of Alexandria Justice Louis Perry and committed to the Jefferson County Public Safety Building with $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond on the animal cruelty charge and with no bail on the parole violation.

Great Lakes Seaway Trail, NY and PA – 1000 Islands sites and attractions are featured in several of the 12 new Great Lakes Seaway Trail itineraries that will be distributed to more than 1,500 domestic and international travel buyers from 70 countries at the Travel Association of America International Pow Wow Marketplace event in San Francisco May 21-25. The annual event generates more than $3.5 billion in future U.S. travel expenditures.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail is the 518-mile-long National Scenic Byway that parallels the freshwater shoreline of the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York and Pennsylvania. The new Great Lakes Seaway Trail itineraries are posted online at www.seawaytrail.com/roadtrips <http://www.seawaytrail.com/roadtrips> .

The Antique Boat Museum, Boldt Castle, Chaumont Bay, Henderson Harbor, Old McDonald’s Farm, the Thousand Islands Art Center’s Handweaving Museum, Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, Tin Pan Galley, and the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor are among the suggested 1000 Islands region stops in the itineraries developed in partnership with I Love NY Division of Tourism and the 11 Great Lakes Seaway Trail county tourism promotion agencies (10 in NYS, 1 in PA).

The itineraries focus on themed travel opportunities:

·     Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail Capture the Moment: Photography, Art, and Painting

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail Cultural Heritage and Quilts

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail Just the Two of Us Getaways and Shopping

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail Lighthouses and Shipwrecks

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail Lighthouse-to-Lighthouse Bicycling

·     Quilting Around the Great Lakes Seaway Trail

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail Seven-Day Scenic Coastal Drive

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail: Take the Blueway

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail War of 1812 in the U.S. and Canada

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail War of 1812 Quilt Challenge

·     Great Lakes Seaway Trail “Where Can I Take the Kids.”

The itineraries vary in length from a one afternoon option to a 9-day bicycling tour. Some of the itineraries are time-limited; others are available any time for do-it-yourself drivers; one is an escorted two-nation group tour to War of 1812 sites in New York, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Quebec.

“These byway-branded itineraries represent unique “only on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail” travel experiences on a premier American national scenic byway touring destination,” says Great Lakes Seaway Trail President and CEO Teresa Mitchell.

(Alexandria Bay, NY – May 12, 2011) The New York State Police in Alexandria Bay arrested Thomas W. Eshelman, 50, of Syracuse for Driving While Intoxicated and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.

On May 11 at approximately 5:55 p.m., Eshelman swerved off the east side of Cottage Hill Road in the Town of Alexandria and into the ditch and several small trees after being allegedly distracted by his dog.  He then left the scene.  He was located shortly thereafter and arrested.

Eshelman’s BAC was 0.16 percent. He was issued tickets and released to reappear in the Town of Alexandria Court May 24.

(Great Lakes Seaway Trail, NY and PA – May 2011)  The 2011 Great Lakes Seaway Trail Travel Magazine is now available with editorial stories on wineries, the War of 1812, and enjoying a scenic drive on the 518-mile National Scenic Byway that parallels the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, and Lake Erie in New York and Pennsylvania.

Spectacular photographs; a calendar of 110-plus events; a directory of attractions, accommodations and services; and the GPS coordinates for more than 100 Great Lakes Seaway Trail “outdoor storyteller” interpretive signs are also included in the 64-page, full-color magazine.

The front cover of the 2011 edition of the annual glossy travel magazine features a tour boat approaching Boldt Castle in the 1000 Islands region of the byway.

The back cover invites travelers to go geocaching on the byway to collect five elegant Great Lakes Seaway Trail collectible geocoins.

Great Lake Seaway Trail Director of Business Relations Kurt Schumacher says the travel magazine is now reaching new markets.

“In addition to finding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Travel Magazine at our member sites along the byway, distribution for the guide now includes high-traffic information and welcome centers on interstate routes in New York and Pennsylvania; locations in Kingston, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and AAA offices in Ohio,” Schumacher says.

The Great Lake Seaway Trail Travel Magazine is also included in Relocation Readiness packets for soldiers arriving at Fort Drum, NY, and in physician recruiting packets developed by Oswego Health, which operates Oswego Hospital, a skilled nursing facility, and a retirement living site in Oswego, NY.

A digital version of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Travel Magazine is online at www.seawaytrail.com/travelmagazine <http://www.seawaytrail.com/travelmagazine> .

(Clayton, Oswego, NY – June 2011)  On Friday June 17, both 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boats will join the excitement of the first-ever Sailing Seaway Clayton event in Clayton.

For the first time the Discover Clean & Safe Boating educational campaign features two “made in New York” vessels: the 16-foot fishing boat E/V Oneida and the 12-foot 9-inch canoe E/V Ontario II. New York Sea Grant has equipped the two educational exhibit vessels in partnership with the Boating Industries Association of Upstate NY and Marathon Boat Group.

Yamaha/Clayton Marina has provided a 50 hp Yamaha engine for the fishing boat: Morgan Recreational Supply and Taylor Made Products have provided the gear required and recommended for clean and safe boating on waters in New York State in both styles of boat.

“Due to the popularity of this campaign, the 2011 exhibit includes both a recreational fishing boat and a canoe to provide both motorized and non-motorized boaters the opportunity to learn about clean and safe boating,” says campaign developer New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White.

Helping those who enjoy the water learn how to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species is an added focus of the 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boating campaign. National Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers information is available at the exhibit along with a prize wheel and the opportunity to sign a Clean and Safe Boating Pledge.

“This year we are inviting canoers and kayakers to join the diverse mix of groups and individuals who enjoy motorized boating to learn how they can help reduce aquatic invasive species by following easy-to-implement clean boating practices,” White says.

Sailing Seaway Clayton is a nearly week-long showcase of vessels that includes the visiting War of 1812 replica tall ship Lynx and the locally-owned, former US Army tugboat Bowditch and landing vessels Maple Grove and Thors Hammer.

Sailing Seaway Clayton organizer Michael Folsom says, “We are thrilled to include New York Sea Grant with its clean and safe boating educational exhibit during Sailing Seaway Clayton on Friday, June 17. Those who love the St. Lawrence Seaway should be made aware and acknowledge the work that Sea Grant is doing to keep our precious water and shoreline resources environmentally and economically sound.”

The 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boats will be at the Sailing Seaway Clayton event only on Friday, June 17 from 11am to 4pm. The event runs from June 14 through June 20.

For more information on the 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boating campaign, contact Dave White, New York Sea Grant (NYSG), Oswego, NY, 315-312-2042, www.nysgextension.org/. More information on Sailing Seaway Clayton is online at www.sailingseawayclayton.com.

Learn more about NYSG’s activities and initiatives in New York’s Great Lakes and marine waters online at www.nyseagrant.org, http://facebook.com/nyseagrant, and http://twitter.com/nyseagrant.

(Clayton, Oswego, NY – June 2011)  On Friday June 17, both 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boats will join the excitement of the first-ever Sailing Seaway Clayton event in Clayton.

For the first time the Discover Clean & Safe Boating educational campaign features two “made in New York” vessels: the 16-foot fishing boat E/V Oneida and the 12-foot 9-inch canoe E/V Ontario II. New York Sea Grant has equipped the two educational exhibit vessels in partnership with the Boating Industries Association of Upstate NY and Marathon Boat Group.

Yamaha/Clayton Marina has provided a 50 hp Yamaha engine for the fishing boat: Morgan Recreational Supply and Taylor Made Products have provided the gear required and recommended for clean and safe boating on waters in New York State in both styles of boat.

“Due to the popularity of this campaign, the 2011 exhibit includes both a recreational fishing boat and a canoe to provide both motorized and non-motorized boaters the opportunity to learn about clean and safe boating,” says campaign developer New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White.

Helping those who enjoy the water learn how to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species is an added focus of the 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boating campaign. National Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers information is available at the exhibit along with a prize wheel and the opportunity to sign a Clean and Safe Boating Pledge.

“This year we are inviting canoers and kayakers to join the diverse mix of groups and individuals who enjoy motorized boating to learn how they can help reduce aquatic invasive species by following easy-to-implement clean boating practices,” White says.

Sailing Seaway Clayton is a nearly week-long showcase of vessels that includes the visiting War of 1812 replica tall ship Lynx and the locally-owned, former US Army tugboat Bowditch and landing vessels Maple Grove and Thors Hammer.

Sailing Seaway Clayton organizer Michael Folsom says, “We are thrilled to include New York Sea Grant with its clean and safe boating educational exhibit during Sailing Seaway Clayton on Friday, June 17. Those who love the St. Lawrence Seaway should be made aware and acknowledge the work that Sea Grant is doing to keep our precious water and shoreline resources environmentally and economically sound.”

The 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boats will be at the Sailing Seaway Clayton event only on Friday, June 17 from 11am to 4pm. The event runs from June 14 through June 20.

For more information on the 2011 Discover Clean & Safe Boating campaign, contact Dave White, New York Sea Grant (NYSG), Oswego, NY, 315-312-2042, www.nysgextension.org/. More information on Sailing Seaway Clayton is online at www.sailingseawayclayton.com.

Learn more about NYSG’s activities and initiatives in New York’s Great Lakes and marine waters online at www.nyseagrant.org, http://facebook.com/nyseagrant, and http://twitter.com/nyseagrant.

(Morrisville, NY – April 2011) Morrisville State College students Sabrina Johnson of Syracuse and Matthew Sourwine, of Alexandria Bay were recently honored with 2011 SUNY-wide Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence.

The prestigious award is based on outstanding academic achievement and service and leadership on campus and in the community.

Johnson and Sourwine will graduate during the college’s 100th commencement ceremony May 14 at 1 p.m. in the athletic stadium.

Johnson, a sports, nutrition and fitness management major, serves as president of the Sports, Nutrition and Fitness Management Club. In that position, she’s devoted numerous hours to leading service projects in the community including collecting food for the needy and conducting fitness activities for low-income families who don’t have access to fitness equipment and facilities.

A native of Putnam, Conn., Johnson also competes in the college’s annual weight lifting competition, holding two standing records, and is an active member of student government. She was named to the Dean’s and President’s lists and received a Madge Snyder Biology Scholarship based on academic achievement and community service.

Johnson is the daughter of Lisa Johnson of Putnam, Conn., and Gary Johnson of Uncasville, Conn.

Sourwine, an electronic marketing and publishing bachelor of technology major, served as the marketing director of the Morrisville State College Entrepreneurship Institute, a college-sponsored, student-run organization dedicated to bringing students and businesses together.

He also serves as vice president of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), national leadership honor society, and recently received the Outstanding Project Manager Award, a department-level award recognizing student excellence in a Project Management class.

In addition to being a leader, Sourwine is a scholar and an athlete. A past member of the basketball team, he was named to the Dean’s and President’s lists multiple semesters.  He also volunteered as a basketball coach for fifth and sixth-grade students.

A 2007 graduate of Alexandria Central School, he is the son of Bonnie and Richard Sourwine of Alexandria Bay.

(Town of Alexandria, NY – April 20, 2011) The New York State Police in Alexandria Bay arrested Leah H. Tidd, 26, of Alexandria Bay for Aggravated Driving while Intoxicated and Speeding.

On April 16 at approximately 3:44 a.m., a citizen reported to the 911 dispatch center a vehicle operating erratically on Route 12 heading from Clayton towards Alexandria Bay.  Troopers located the vehicle on Route 12 in the Town of Alexandria and observed it at 68 mph in the 55 mph Speed Zone.

The subsequent investigation revealed Tidd to be intoxicated.  Her BAC was 0.24 percent.

She was issued tickets returnable to the Town of Alexandria on April 26 and released.

(March 3, 2011) We ask our readers to bear with us at this time as we are experiencing technical difficulties with our online edition.

We will make every effort to bring the news to you with or without photos in a timely manner and will work diligently to correct the problems.

Thank you for your patience,

Jefferson County Staff of M3P Media LLC