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From the office of Congressman Owens

WASHINGTON – Tonight, Congressman Bill Owens will join a bipartisan delegation of Upstate New York Members of Congress to sit together during the President’s annual State of the Union address.  Members of the delegation will include Representatives Brian Higgins (NY-27), Chris Lee (NY-26), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Tom Reed (NY-29), Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25), Chris Gibson (NY-20), and Richard Hanna (NY-24). Read more »

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Please note the generally thoughtful reader comments

By Adele Douglas

They can be cold and miserable but our winters do provide some fun and unique opportunities for outdoor activities. My idea of a great day is an outing with friends and/or family, near home, that doesn’t take more than a few hours, then heading home (often with a stop at Rulf’s for treats and coffee) to enjoy a book, content that I got my healthy outdoor exercise out of the way. Some of our recent outings have included skating at the outdoor rinks in Keeseville and Cliff Haven, (I see that Peru’s pond is being well used this year as well); sledding at Peru’s Little Ausable Park and Macomb Reservation State Park (both bring you onto the ice); and walking the dog (hooked up to a sled pulling daughter Emily) at Ausable Point State Park and Macomb. Last time we were at Macomb some hearty soul was out snow blowing a skating rink on Davis pond. We’ve also been cross-country skiing at Ausable Chasm’s newly re-opened cross-country ski trails (834-7454). They have new ski equipment to rent ($10) and charge $5 for the use of the trails, maps of the three loops are provided. The Outer Loop (7 km) wasn’t groomed when we went but had tracks laid down by an earlier skier and was easy to ski, mostly flat and attractive. You check in and pay at the main welcome center then drive to park closer to the entrance of the campground, where the trails begin. I hope they consider plowing and allowing parking in the campground next year as the set-up now requires you to cross two roads and ski through an open field before reaching the trailhead, to me a very awkward way to start, and especially unpleasant on windy days. Downhill skiing at Beartown and a little further a field at Whiteface with the Town of Peru Ski Club, has rounded out our typical winter activities to date.

But for something a little different last Saturday night we went tubing. At its annual Taste of the North Country event the Chamber of Commerce President bid for and won an evening at Beartown Ski Area. Staff and board members and their families were invited and about 30 people showed up, not bad for an evening that promised a low of –3 degrees. People enjoyed the facilities in a number of ways. One group pretty much stayed in the cozy lodge near the fireplace playing games around the big wooden table, another took advantage of the T-bar and went skiing and snow boarding and a third climbed up and tubed down the hill. Hill Manager Eric Pabst and staff had another fire roaring outside near the stream, it was very picturesque and much appreciated in between runs. Back in the lodge everyone enjoyed the hot cocoa and food, catered by Dino’s Gourmet Pizza and Pasta restaurant. The last run was at 9 pm and then everyone went home happy. Beartown (561-3938) can be rented out for three hours of evening tubing for $250 or, if you add skiing and snowboarding, for $350, providing another close to home opportunity to enjoy and survive the winter.

I’d love to hear about more local places for fun outdoor winter activities, especially cross country skiing, please send in a comment with your favorites.

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By Donald McBrayer

As I gaze out upon the thermometer beyond the window this morning, I see it is 25 degrees below zero. Then I wonder — How are my pipes doing?

Even if you haven’t had a broken or frozen water pipe in years, the chance of seeing one today is very good. These temperatures added to a little wind will allow the fingers of Old Jack Frost to seek out weak spots in the home plumbing you may not know ever existed.

Why do pipes break when they freeze? We all remember our third-grade science class. When water freezes it expands. If water is sealed in a container, the expansion from freezing will cause that container to burst. Our internal home plumbing is a sealed container, and will certainly bust if allowed to freeze. To prevent this we have two choices: One: don’t allow the pipes to freeze by keeping them warm. Two: allow someplace for the expansion to go.

Copper pipes are more likely to break when frozen than the newer Pex (cross-linked polyethylene tubing) plumbing systems. Don’t think you’re off the hook with Pex however. Pex piping may be far more resilient to breaks from freezing than traditional copper, but it isn’t foolproof. Pex joints are a weak point when freezing, and should be watched closely when it’s this cold. Read more »

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North Country Public Radio reports

Did members of Congress try to exempt themselves from current health care reform legislation?

No. This claim was based on the erroneous assumption that congressional efforts to establish a “public option” for health insurance would have required everyone (except members of Congress) to participate in a new federal insurance plan. The proposed legislation would merely have required everyone (including members of Congress) to have health insurance that met minimum benefit standards, and to that end called for the creation of insurance exchanges which would offer health insurance plans to those who could not otherwise afford insurance plans meeting the minimum benefits criteria.

In fact, the final version of the health care reform legislation that was eventually passed in March 2010 stated that “Members of Congress and congressional staff” will only have access to plans that are created by the health care bill or offered through the exchanges established by the bill:

(D) MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN THE EXCHANGE.

(i) REQUIREMENT — Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after the effective date of this subtitle, the only health plans that the Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and congressional staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress or congressional staff shall be health plans that are:

(I) created under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act); or

(II) offered through an Exchange established under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act).

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The PostStar reports

One hundred and fifty years ago, few knew about Lavinia Bell, a fugitive from slavery who trekked from a Texas plantation to Rouses Point, New York, in search of freedom in Canada. Now, for the first time, her riveting experiences will be presented to the public in “Never Give Up: The Story of Lavinia Bell,” reenacted by Melissa Waddy-Thibodeaux at Plattsburgh State University’s Krinovitz Recital Hall. The presentation will begin at 7:00 PM on February 11, 2011. This event is free and open to the public.

Ms. Thibodeaux’s visit to Plattsburgh in February will be her first to the North Country. She has already earned national acclaim for her sensitive depictions of Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. The North Country location of the premiere of Mrs. Bell’s story, in the region where her vision was at last realized, is as fitting as are the sponsoring organizations: the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, Plattsburgh State University, and Clinton Community College.

Ms. Thibodeaux will also offer performance workshops for university and college students during her stay in Plattsburgh. On February 12, she will cross into Canada where, under the sponsorship of the Negro Community Center in Montreal, she will introduce Mrs. Bell to a waiting audience.

To see Ms. Thibodeaux portray Harriet Tubman visit: You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTp2A08misE

To learn more about this event, contact Don Papson at NCUGRHA@aol.com or (518) 561-0277.

The Watertown Daily Times reports