How Did We Get To Last Friday

    A good interview for the Digital Desk might be the seldom seen Jefferson County DA...Ms. Mills could fill us in on process...How does the complaint like Milly lead to such a trial...Who made the decisions on who should prosecute ?  Why was the officers body cam concealed.?   Why was the divorce brought up ?

What did all this cost ?

What of these 24 hour ACDs said not to exist till they did. Didn't her office hep facilitate the dead end SP probe of two City Council members ?

    What this affair proved is how easy it is to make anything a crime.

Fall Here

    Fall arrives today as the first 3 noted in a temperature as Barnes Corners checks in at 37 degrees. 

Home Rule Request Withdrawn

     City Council scrapped for now asking for home rule to allow leasing of the golf course...The resolution was dropped after the City received an opinion outlining the history of the course and the deed restrictions and other factors.....The measure as proposed was not giving full disclosure to the NYS Legislature.

     Clearly, there will be no swift action on any of this as there is not even a proposal out there so the City must affirm at the next meeting they will operate the course and should designate now Mr. Fallon to run it if he is available.  They should also receive a complete summary of finances at the Course and for the Park as well.

     Across the parking lot at the Zoo, some transparency is needed such as on those unresolved maintenance issues and who lives in the house.

      That the home rule resolution was in the agenda makes you wonder about the advice Council is getting.

Welcome to the Club

     Watertown's newest stabber is a 23 year old woman who in her photo certainly doesn't look like she would enter your home and put a knife in your chest.   But looks are deceiving. I would never suspect Shirley Temple of doing that.

      A woman was injured in the incident yesterday morning on Lansing Street.

https://www.facebook.com/newzjunky/posts/pfbid034JjmVL13TJj57fT6NmHkqw1XwsXHGtZTnodmT4JbEEv6683SXTfxbZuM8dkRbsoBl

Tin Cup Does It Again

     There will be a Christmas Parade as for the second time this year the tin cup has brought dollars into City Hall for politically popular endeavors.

     Free swimming for kids was the other time.

      Area businesses contributed money to the City which purportedly is used for expenses related to the Parade which had been billed by City Hall as a costly anomaly.

       You can contribute to the City at any time and you can convince yourself you are funding whatever you want to think you are funding.

       There has always been a line item in the budget for donations. Be interesting to take a look at that. Others may have donated money over the years.

         This matter was announced by the CM although the Mayor had earlier said she has no interest in taking her child out in the snow and cold.

         Did they sell those Tee Box signs ?

https://www.nny360.com/news/watertown_daily_times/watertown-s-christmas-parade-saved-by-public-donations/article_0b82ddbc-a56f-5f64-9b51-71ed15a29063.html

Shakedown

    Government loves,to brag how many tickets it writes but in Syracuse they are bragging how much money that generated…..These were camera tickets in a school zone during JULY.   They even brag about how much the camera company scammed the public for.

      These are not really tickets against the driver but against the registrant of the car.

       Maybe if Watertown set one of these up for a week or two, we could have a Christmas parade and the evil doers would be paying for it.

 https://www.syracuse.com/news/2026/09/more-than-20000-school-zone-traffic-tickets-issued-in-syracuse-during-july.html

Tale of the Tape

        Channel 7 advanced the choking story further this evening by airing the security tape from Pete’s Trattoria last January 17…First time seeing it for most people although at least some Council members had said they saw the tape months ago.

          I never saw it although I know people who had and had heard,their account. While some argue this isn’t news and will encourage public interference in police duties, I don’t see that happening..  

           This may discourage people from helping out, but I don’t think so…

            What is surprising is there are not a dozen cell phone videos as these days if you see a person on fire you pick up your phone before you pick up a hose.

 https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/09/21/7-news-obtains-video-man-choking-smith-efforts-save-him/

Stuff

   Needed a haircut today so I went out 283 for some Asian and there was a new place next to Suki called Kim’s….very nice people and a good haircut.

     The Milly interview went well…I neglected to pin her down on the meme page but did get her to concede her experience with City Hall has changed her views on past inquisitions against Coincil Person Ruggiero and others.

     I think she realizes how skanky some people are .

     I did like how gracious she was towards Officer George but again the city withholding the body cam video says volumes about the Third Floor.

     Nice weather again today… Tomorrow Fall arrives but by all accounts a good summer.

       

     

Stabbing

    A stabbing this morning on Lansing Street…This time a woman the victim at 510:Lansing. Police began searching for the female suspect.    Happened at 9:30 AM…

Bodegas Join in Call for End to Booze and Wine Monopoly

     The push is on to deny liquor stores exclusive domain over wine and liquor... NYC bodegas are teaming up with Big Grocery ...Let the bodegas sell weed too....Lets just let free enterprise happen.

 https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-bodegas-join-grocery-giants-push-to-sell-wine-liquor

Sleepy Time

   So who was sleeping in the wedding gazebo in front of City Hall on Sunday ?   We don't know and nobody cares but it is an interesting touch.

    I don't think I ever saw that in 20 years as Mayor...Not saying it couldn't have happened but it didn't because someone cared....

     Another interesting observation comes from a Huntington Street resident who says people are camping on Diamond Island in the Black River.

Did Ben's Tin Cup Save Christmas ?

    Dirt Monkey Equipment is a Lewis County business that says it will fund reasonable expenses for the Christmas Parade..  Good publicity... Here is their Facebook post.
· 

We here at Dirt Monkey Equipment feel that there are some things in life that go beyond politics, personalities, and money. Celebrating Christmas promotes goodwill, peacefulness, and a genuine kind feeling to our fellow humans around us. Thus we have sent emails to all members of the Watertown City Council stating we will fund all reasonable fees to allow the City's Christmas Parade to be done this year. We have, and will, extend the same offer to any other individual or organization who also wishes to put on the Parade. There are some things more important than money, and we will divert some of our advertising budget for this event. If you wish to join us and stand by us in this endeavor we welcome you. Thank you

May be an image of christmas tree, crowd and text

Looking Ahead

      Saw something on Facebook about someone running for Mayor in Watertown who I never heard of...Even though the job of Mayor is eviscerated here, there still might be some interest.

      Certainly it appears the incumbent is not running and it looks like Dr. Kimball is.   Some have speculated about Councilman Shoen, who has been in several news cycles of late....Milly Smith is mentioned after her victory over City Hall. 

     Some great slogans if its Kimball-Smith....Vote for the Real Doctor not the Imposter.....Or Hey Doc, We are Choking on High Taxes and You Did Nothing.

      Former Council Member Ruggiero, another target of the Third Floor who was "acquitted", might try a comeback.

     Of course there is Cliff, who will be in the hunt in some capacity.

     The great thing is the issues are the same....The golf course, hydro, the CM, taxes....

Debates Are Getting To Be Like Hen's Teeth

       People ahead don't want them...People behind beg for them....Debates.

       Not many of them in upstate House races but does it matter ?  Only if you make a mistake like refusing to shake your opponents hand...Whatever is said is forgotten....Now the Biden debate was the exception. It sent Joe to the showers.

       But most people don't pay much attention. And stations don't want to waste air time on them and on line means fewer viewers.

        In previous elections, I could always say I had the pleasure as a voter of having met all the candidates....But this year, that's not even the case. Have never met the Democrat or even heard a sound bite of the Democrat running in my CD and SD.......There's a guy running for the Blankenbush seat who has never been seen.

     Certainly no debates in our neck of the woods...Locally about a third of people 18 and older will vote, and surely they have all decided.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dearth-of-debates-in-some-upstate-house-races-might-be-a-sign-of-the-times/ar-AA2cBOlg

Six Weeks Away

    The quintessential fall campaign opportunity in Lowville over the weekend as the Cream Cheese Festival attracted great crowds in perfect weather.

      Don't know who was there but the clock is running down...Six weeks and some people have surely already cast their absentee votes....

      The commercials are flying...Remember when NNY races involved virtually no money?

       Surprised nobody has a campaign busses smartly lettered.,,,Its a way to get hundreds or thousands of views just driving around or being parked prominently.  Good CPM as we say in the business.

      You don't get that with black Escalades.

       View minds are changed at this point....It's about turnout and looking at NNY that may be more of a GOP problem...The President's low numbers, Stefanik not on the ballot, lots of blowout or unopposed races. And Democrats seem motivated. The only race in question is NY 21 and that looks close although the ambient landscape favors the Republican.       

 https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/09/19/21st-annual-cream-cheese-festival-held-lowville-saturday/