The north
10 years ago
May 15, 1998:David G. Sanders, acting administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., said that even he is amazed by the heavy volume of traffic passing through the Seaway so far this season. Preliminary statistics in mid-April showed the number of ocean vessels to be up 18 percent over the same period last year. Data at the end of April showed traffic to have surged 43 percent, and Mr. Sanders said now the traffic has risen by more than 50 percent.
25 years ago
May 15, 1983:Great Lakes United, its fences mended, has laid down an ideological foundation that includes a strong stand against winter navigation. The group's members met in Detroit, settling their differences long enough to pass resolutions that established task forces to address environmental issues in the region.
50 years ago
May 15, 1958:The Society of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Ogdensburg Diocese will build a college and novitiate for 50 students on 137 acres of land on Route 37 about five miles west of Ogdensburg. The college will be devoted to the education of young women entering the society of nuns.
75 years ago
May 15, 1933:A rainbow-like halo encircled the sun today. Residents of Watertown and Northern New York gazed skyward at the phenomenon, curiously speculating upon its origin. Weather bureau experts explained the mystery as "merely a reflection of the sun through high upper strata clouds." Such solar halos, they said, are not uncommon.
100 years ago
May 15, 1908:A congressional committee, appointed to investigate the wood pulp and print paper industry, continued its investigation, hearing George C. Sherman, Watertown, treasurer of the St. Regis Paper Co. and the Taggart Paper Co., and president of the Brownville Paper Co., as the first manufacturer of print paper to be sworn in the investigation.
125 years ago
May 15, 1883:It is understood that the contract for building the north Adirondack railroad, from Moira to St. Regis Falls, in Franklin County, has been let to a Brooklyn firm. It is expected that it will begin the work soon, and will be about three months in completing it.
The world
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today is Thursday, May 15,the 136th day of 2008. There are 230 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 15, 1918, U.S. airmail began service between Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
On this date:
In 1975, U.S. forces invaded the Cambodian island of Koh Tang and recaptured the American merchant ship Mayaguez. (All 40 crew members had already been released safely by Cambodia; some 40 U.S. servicemen were killed in the operation.)
In 1988, the Soviet Union began the process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, more than eight years after Soviet forces had entered the country.
Ten years ago:Trapped in blazing shopping malls, hundreds of looters burned to death in rioting that laid smoking waste to Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. Leaders of eight countries, including the U.S., opened a three-day summit in Birmingham, England.
Five years ago:Emergency officials rushed to a series of mock catastrophes in the Chicago area on the busiest day of a national weeklong exercise. Runaway Texas Democrats boarded two buses and returned home after a self-imposed weeklong exile in Oklahoma that succeeded in killing a redistricting bill they opposed. The three-year championship reign of the Los Angeles Lakers came to a decisive end as the San Antonio Spurs overpowered the Lakers 110-82 to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2. Country music star June Carter Cash died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 73.
One year ago:The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who built the Christian right into a political force, died in Lynchburg, Va., at age 73. Yolanda King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 51. President Bush chose Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute to oversee the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a war czar. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern became the first Irish leader to address the joint houses of the British Parliament. Kenny Chesney collected his third consecutive entertainer of the year trophy from the Academy of Country Music.
Today's Birthdays:Actor Joseph Wiseman is 90. Playwright Sir Peter Shaffer ("Amadeus") is 82. Actress-singer Anna Maria Alberghetti is 72. Counterculture icon Wavy Gravy is 72. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is 71. Singer Trini Lopez is 71. Singer Lenny Welch is 70. Actress-singer Lainie Kazan is 68. Actor-director Paul Rudd ("Knots Landing") is 68. Country singer K.T. Oslin is 66. Singer-songwriter Brian Eno is 60. Actor Nicholas Hammond ("The Sound of Music") is 58. Actor Chazz Palminteri is 56. Baseball Hall-of-Famer George Brett is 55. Musician-composer Mike Oldfield ("Tubular Bells") is 55. Actor Lee Horsley is 53. TV personality Giselle Fernandez is 47. Singer-rapper Prince Be (PM Dawn) is 38. Actor Brad Rowe is 38. Actor David Charvet is 36. Rock musician Ahmet Zappa is 34. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Amy Chow is 30. Actor David Krumholtz ("Numb3rs") is 30. Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler is 27.
Thought for Today:"People love to talk but hate to listen." — Alice Duer Miller, American author (1874-1942).
