Submitted by Jude Seymour

(Oct. 2011) The Watertown businessman and registered Republican filed paperwork last week with the Federal Elections Commission to become a candidate for Congress, where he will represent northern and Central New York’s interests in Washington.

“While my campaign may technically start today, I’ve been out listening to residents all over northern and Central New York since last November,” Matt Doheny said. “People continue to worry about our country’s lack of forward progress. We need well-paying jobs, but President Barack Obama and his allies continue to stifle growth by pushing an agenda that leads to higher taxes and bigger deficits. That just creates more burdens for both average Americans and for our future generations.”

Doheny is an investor who managed the distressed assets division at a Fortune 500 company for eight years. He had an up-close look at why American businesses failed and gained an expertise in finding ways to turn those troubled companies around.

He’s now formed his own investment firm, North Country Capital, to help start-ups create jobs locally.

Doheny also helps companies by using his expertise in turnarounds and restructurings, either by sitting on their boards of directors or through consulting.

The candidate believes Congress needs more businessmen who understand how our economy works and how we can reverse the current crisis of confidence that Americans feel. He will put the knowledge gained from his private sector career into a pro-growth plan that will create incentives for businesses to get back in the game. That plan will get our economy – and this great nation – moving in the right direction.

Like many Americans, Doheny also understands Washington does not have a revenue problem.

“It has a spending problem,” Doheny said.

Doheny will be proposing reforms that ensure Washington will continue to provide a social safety net, but one that is within the country’s means and does not simply defer problems and put the burdens on generations to come.

The candidate expects his ideas to resonate with New Yorkers looking for real leadership.

While the state Legislature works on redrawing the congressional district boundaries for the 2012 election, Doheny will continue reaching out to local leaders, Republican officials and residents of the many counties who may be part of the eventual district.

About the Candidate

Doheny, 41, was raised in Alexandria Bay. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and earned his law degree at Cornell University. After practicing law in Syracuse, he jumped into the business world.

At Deutsche Bank, he managed more than 130 individuals while helping purchase and restructuring large troubled companies. In 2008, Doheny joined Fintech Advisory, a money-management firm. He left Fintech in 2010 and started his own business, North Country Capital, LLC, which is based in Watertown and primarily serves northern and Central New York.

He also teaches a finance class at Clarkson University, after having previously taught a business course at Jefferson Community College.

Doheny was the Republican and Independence Parties’ candidate in the 23rd Congressional District race in 2010. With just 1,990 votes separating Doheny from incumbent Democrat Bill Owens, the House race was one of the 10 closest in the nation last year.

Jude Seymour, 31, is Doheny’s deputy campaign manager and spokesman.

(Sept. 28, 2011) Assemblyman Sam Roberts (D,W - Syracuse) announced two measures designed to further protect military funerals from disruptive demonstrations have been signed into law by the governor (Ch. 527 and 528 of 2011). Roberts is sponsor of one of the new laws and supported the other.

“I applaud Governor Cuomo and his decision to sign these laws to protect not only the dignity of our military men and women, but also the safety of their families and friends who attend the services,” Roberts said. “The new laws are designed to ensure that military funerals are not disrupted by violent protestors or disrespectful behavior. The soldiers of our state and our country who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our safety deserve the utmost respect, and ensuring their funerals are dignified helps do just that.”

One of the bills passed into law was sponsored by Roberts (Ch. 528 of 2011) and will expand the 100-foot protective radius of religious services, funerals, burials and memorial services to 300 feet. Violators will be guilty of disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service, a class A misdemeanor.

The second measure passed into law (Ch. 527 of 2011) that was supported by Roberts will authorize communities to require demonstrators to obtain permits from the locality for any demonstrations organized within 1,000 feet of a wake, funeral, burial or memorial service. Protestors who violate a permit requirement will face civil penalties, the terms of which would be left up to the individual communities. Violators on state property will face civil fines of up to $500 upon a first violation, up to $1,000 for a second violation and up to $2,000 for a third violation.

(Lowville, NY – Sept. 22, 2011)  In a surprise move at their convention on Sept. 20, the Conservative Party delegates from the six counties in the Fifth Judicial District selected Democrat Charles Merrell to run for one of the four state Supreme Court seats on the November ballot.

Judge Merrell, County, Surrogate and Family Court judge in Lewis County since 2003, has also been an acting state Supreme Court justice since 2007. He is one of several Democrats in the race, but the only one nominated by the Conservative Party.

Delegate Bernie Ment, the chairman of the DeWitt Conservative Party committee, explained that judicial experience was the key factor in the party’s decision to nominate Judge Merrell. “He is the one candidate who had experience on the bench as an acting state Supreme Court justice,” Ment said.

“One of the primary slogans for my campaign is Experience Matters,” said Judge Merrell. “It’s very satisfying to see that the Conservative Party feels the same way.”

The Democrats in the Fifth Judicial District held their convention on Saturday, Sept. 24 at party headquarters in Syracuse.

To find out more about Judge Charles Merrell and his campaign for State Supreme Court, visit www.electmerrell.com or www.facebook.com/electmerrell

(Syracuse, NY – Sept. 23, 2011) John G. Stone. Esq. was endorsed by the Conservative Party to be their candidate for Supreme Court Justice for the New York State Fifth Judicial District.

Stone has been the Principal Law Clerk to New York State Supreme Court Justice James P. Murphy for 7 years.  Prior to that appointment, Stone spent 17 years as a litigation attorney in private practice and as a Senior Assistant Corporation counsel for the City of Syracuse serving under Mayors Thomas G Young, Roy A Bernardi and Matthew J Driscoll .

He resides inManlius with his wife, Dr. Barbara Krenzer, and their three children, Elizabeth, John and Matthew.

To the Editor:

(Ilion, NY – Sept. 21, 2011) On behalf of Herkimer County HealthNet, Inc., I would like to express congratulations to the Village of Ilion for being the first community in Herkimer County to adopt a Complete Streets Resolution. This resolution was passed at their September 14, 2011 village board meeting.

Complete Streets aims to make new and reconstructed roadways safe and accessible for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users and transit riders, as well as motorists.

Communities across the country are participating in this movement to build highways, bridges, and sidewalks that are safer, friendlier, and welcoming to everyone.

Complete Streets legislation was passed in New York State by both the Assembly and Senate, and then signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on August 27, 2011.

If we continue to productively utilize our streets, we are providing better health and wellness in our communities, which ultimately boosts economic development by enhancing our county’s infrastructure.

Congratulations again to the Village of Ilion for making this commitment.

Sincerely,

Adam Hutchinson,

Executive Director, Herkimer County HealthNet, Inc.

(Herkimer, NY – Sept. 16, 2011) Herkimer County municipalities can apply for Incentive Awards from Herkimer County HealthNet to support the efforts of the Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play grant initiative funded by the New York State Department of Health.

Herkimer County HealthNet is offering four-$5,000 awards to be used for municipal projects that promote physical activity, access to outdoor recreational facilities, areas that support bicycling and walking, and safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active.  Projects that qualify should take place between the dates of April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012.

The Creating Healthy Places grant’s purpose is to assist communities with infrastructure improvements that will decrease rates of childhood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes by increasing opportunities for physical activity for Herkimer County residents.

Recommended municipal improvement strategies and measures to help communities tackle the problem of obesity through environmental change and policies that promote physical activity include but are not limited to:

* Sidewalks and Sidewalk Improvements

*Lighting (promoting safety for pedestrians/cyclists)

*Signage (promoting pedestrian/bicycle safety)

*Crosswalks and Crosswalk Devices

*Bridge Construction (friendly for pedestrians/cyclists)

*Highway Improvements (friendly for pedestrians/cyclists)

*Parking Areas and Parking Area Improvements to promote pedestrian safety (adjacent to sidewalks, bicycle routes, trails and trail heads)

The deadline for submitting the grant applications is Friday, Sept. 30, 2011.

Applications are available by e-mailing Alison J. Swartz at aswartz@herkimercounty.org or calling (315) 866-1499.

For more information about Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play in Herkimer County, visit www.facebook.com/CreatingHealthyPlacesInHerkimerCounty.

(Sept. 15, 2011) Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney (R,C,I-New Hartford) has authored and introduced new legislation to ease the voting process in counties like Oneida and Oswego, which currently do not maintain the same polling hours for different elections held on the same day – such as the special election and the primary election held Tuesday,September 13, 2011.

“If a special election is called for the same day as a primary election, it would only make sense that the polls for both elections have the same hours. However, this is currently not the case. To ensure democracy, and ease the voting process for all registered voters, I have sponsored and introduced this commonsense legislation,” said the assemblywoman.

If enacted, the legislation would allow polling hours from6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for primary elections which are held on the same day as special elections. Under currently state election law, primary elections are held from noon to 9 p.m. except inNew York City, or the counties of Erie, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester (which are open from6 a.m. to 9 p.m.). General elections, special elections and all other elections across the state have open poll hours from6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

(Watertown, NY – Sept. 2011) The Greater Watertown – North Country Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center has expanded their primary service area to include Oswego and Oneida Counties.

The PTAC is hosted by the GWNC Chamber of Commerce and continues to service their previous area of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence Counties and any other county in New York not covered by another PTAC Program.

The North Country PTAC provides free technical assistance and counseling to businesses interested in selling to the government (federal, state, local, and military).  The program is federally funded and within the first three years of the program, their clients have reported 45 contracts awarded totaling over $75million.

Visit the program’s website at www.northcountryptac.com or contact Stephen Barr, Program Manager at ptac@watertownny.com or call 315-788-4400 for more information.

(Syracuse, NY – Sept. 13, 2011) John G. Stone. Esq. received the highest possible rating, “qualified and commended,” given by the Central New York Women’s Bar Association in relation to his candidacy for New York State Supreme Court Justice.

Stone recently was endorsed by the Onondaga County Republican Judicial Delegates for the competitive Fifth Judicial District Supreme Court Justice race.

Stone will be the Onondaga County Republican candidate at the Fifth Judicial District nominating convention on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Stone has been the Principal Law Clerk to New York State Supreme Court Justice James P. Murphy for 7 years. Prior to that appointment, Stone spent 17 years as a litigation attorney in private practice and as a senior assistant corporation counsel for the City of Syracuse.

He resides in Manlius with his wife, Dr. Barbara Krenzer, and their three children, Elizabeth, John and Matthew.

(Marcy, NY – Sept. 8, 2011) Leadership Mohawk Valley (LMV) kicked off its program year on Aug. 18-19 with orientation held on the SUNYIT campus in Marcy.

The day-and-a-half long orientation was designed to introduce the class members to LMV, prepare them for the program they’ll be part of until Graduation in May, 2012, and to get to know each other through a variety of activities, culminating in participation on SUNYIT’s Ropes Course.

The following individuals comprise the Class of 2012, LMV’s 22^nd class;

Lisa Barone, Air Force Research Laboratory; Sarah Bogar, HMO Workforce Investment Board; Matthew Briggs, Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig Insurance;  James Brooks, MetLife; Michelle Brundage, AmeriCU Credit Union; Brandi Candido, Kids Oneida; Victoria Cataldo, SUNYIT Foundation; Matthew Cravis, Presbyterian Homes & Services; Lisa Davison, Berkshire Bank; Christopher Dovi, First Source Federal Credit Union; Nikki Eaton, Rome Memorial Hospital; Cindy Franco, Brown & Brown Insurance; EJ Gianforti, Revere Copper Products; Daniel Gonzalez, Quanterion Solutions; Laurie Hartman, SUNYIT; Nicole Howard, Remington Federal Credit Union;  Jean Jacobson, Upstate Cerebral Palsy; Thomas Koehler, First Source Federal Credit Union; Patrick Kotary, Assured Information Security; Cherise Kujawski, Resource Center for Independent Living; Catrina Lennon, The House of the Good Shepherd; Brett Levitt, NBT Bank; Luis Lopez, Human Technologies Corporation; Christian Mercurio, City of Rome; Jacqueline Paladino, Adirondack Bank; Aaron Postiglione, Herkimer Area Resource Center; Edward Pulaski, Utica College; Nancy Roberts, Air Force Research Laboratory; Grant Roser, Roser Communications Network; Lisa Ross, Northland Communications; Karen Roth, Air Force Research Laboratory; Kyle Strife, New York Life Insurance Co.; Jamie Tuttle, Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority; Lisa Volo, Human Technologies Corporation; Kristin West, Upstate Cerebral Palsy.

The class has begun a 10 month program focused on developing leadership skills and bringing area leaders together with participants, to bring to light issues facing our region in the areas of Lifelong Learning, Healthcare, Quality of Life, Human Services, Government, Media & Promotion, Economic Development and Quality of Life.

Participants also work in small groups on projects to benefit nonprofits in the area.

To learn more about LMV, and find out how to enroll for next year’s class, email us at info@leadershipmohawkvalley.net.