Oswego Daily News

Humanitarian, actor, author, health and wellness ambassador and philanthropist Hill Harper, best known for his role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on “CSI: NY,” will deliver the keynote speech for SUNY Oswego’s annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy at 7 p.m. Jan. 30, in Sheldon Hall ballroom.

At Tuesday night’s Physical Services Committee, nearly a dozen people spoke out against a local businessman’s request for a variance or permit to operate outside of the decibel limits set forth in the Noise Ordinance, in order to have live music at his open air establishment Thursday through Saturday from May – September.

The city of Oswego has been awarded a $225,000 grant by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Cleaner, Greener Communities initiative, to develop a Complete Streets Plan along Route 104, the city’s main corridor, that will seek to encourage more bicycling and an enhanced walking experience. Mayor Tom Gillen and Planning and Zoning Director, Amy Birdsall, championed the grant application. The project will be facilitated through the City’s Planning and Zoning Department and a planning consulting firm will be retained in 2015 to prepare the plan.

Two local AmeriCorps programs are currently accepting applications to provide services to youth and disadvantaged residents. AmeriCorps is a national service program that offers members the opportunity to learn valuable skills and build their resumes while receiving a living allowance paycheck. Oswego County AmeriCorps members provide fitness and nutrition activities for youth as well as manage volunteers who work with youth.

Oswego County can be a winter wonderland during the winter months, providing plenty of snow to enjoy outdoor recreation and sports. With it come the hazards of winter storms and biting cold that are not only uncomfortable and inconvenient, but can be life-threatening. Being out in the cold for too long can make you vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite.

Over the span of five days, more than a dozen different witnesses in the groundbreaking Heidi Allen hearing shared testimony that could give her convicted kidnapper, Gary Thibodeau, a new trial. Thibodeau was convicted in 1995 for kidnapping Allen from a convenience store in New Haven where she was working Easter morning, 1994. The hearing will resume on February 3 at 9 a.m. before Judge Daniel King in the Oswego County Courthouse.

Students at Leighton Elementary School recently read about children changing the world, and how they could make a difference. After finishing the books Leighton Elementary School students were posed the questions, “What did the stories teach you?” and “Describe something you could do to make a difference.” As it turns out, students learned quite a bit from the readings. In fact, they all wanted to feel like they could make a difference.