In the news

Birthdays

Ogdensburg

Birthday: Audrey Bouchard celebrated her 96th birthday Feb. 15 with friends at the RiverLedge Residence, Ogdensburg, formerly United Helpers Adult Residence, where she has lived since 2004. Audrey Bouchard, left, and Debbie Farrand, residence assistant administrator.

Milestones

Saranac Lake

Milestone: Carolyn Walrath, occupational therapist for Adirondack Medical Center, Saranac Lake, has earned the certified hand therapist credential. To receive certification, therapists must complete a minimum of five years clinical experience with at least 4,000 hours of direct practice in hand therapy and pass an examination of advanced clinical skills and theory in upper extremity rehabilitation.

Ms. Walrath has been employed in the center’s physical rehabilitation and sports medicine department since 2005. She received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University at Albany and graduated summa cum laude with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy from Sage College, Troy. She has previously worked at Saratoga Hospital and the Uihlein Living Center, Lake Placid.

Watertown

Milestone: Michael W. Simmons, Watertown, received his first-degree black belt on Feb. 18 from Master Kim in Oswego.

Mr. Simmons, who trains at Sunset Tae Kwon Do, Watertown, has reached a not only milestone in Tae Kwon Do, but also has become the first blind person in Northern New York to earn a black belt.

Mr. Simmons has been studying Tae Kwon Do for 15 years, participating in many competitions. Among his accomplishments are a bronze medal in sparring from the summer 1996, a silver medal in board breaking and a bronze medal in poomse (forms) competition. He competed in the Super Cup in Rochester, where he took second place in board breaking and third place in poomse.

Mr. Simmons is working toward the goal of becoming the first blind Tae Kwon Do master.

Notable donations

Potsdam

Receives grant: The Potsdam Public Museum received a $750 GO Grant from the state Council on the Arts for museum staff members Courtney Doyle, pictured, and Mimi Van Deusen to attend an April conference, “Museums in Conversation,” held in Albany. The conference is sponsored by the Museum Association of New York and Museumwise. The grants are offered to help museums and historical societies develop institutions and work with their communities.

Winners

Saranac Lake

Winner: Kristin Parker, Saranac Lake, was awarded Editors’ Choice in Adirondack Life Magazine’s annual photography contest. Her photograph “Floating on the 4th,” captured an Independence Day scene on Lake Placid’s Mirror Lake.

Winning photographs are published in the March/April issue of the magazine. Photographs of all winners and honorable mentions can be viewed online at www.adirondacklife.com.

Colleges

Dean’s list

The following north country residents recently were named to the dean’s list at their colleges or universities:

College of St. Rose,

Albany

To receive dean’s list honors at the College of St. Rose for the fall semester, students must receive a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

Boonville

Janna Czepiel

Megan O’Brien

Carthage

Allison Kratzat

Amelia Renaud

Croghan

Emily Gydesen

Lowville

Katherine O’Brien

Massena

Cassandra Miller

Memoli Ward

Philadelphia

Amanda Rozsavolgyi

Pulaski

Lyndsea Hart

Graduates

The following north country residents recently received degrees from their colleges or universities:

Dexter

Receives master’s: Marc Thomas, Dexter, recently received a master’s degree in industrial systems engineering from Binghamton University.

Massena

Receives master’s: Joshua T. Premo, Massena, recently received a master’s degree in biology adolescence education from Binghamton University.

President’s list

The following north country residents recently were named to the president’s list at their colleges or universities:

University of South Carolina,

Columbia, S.C.

To receive president’s list honors at the University of South Carolina for the fall semester, students must receive a grade point average of 4.0.

Watertown

Steven P. Duffany Jr., Army Reserves, serving at Fort Drum.

About People News ...

Send items for “North Country People” and “Community Scrapbook” to News Clerks, Watertown Daily Times, 260 Washington St., Watertown, N.Y. 13601.

Include the name and daytime telephone number of a contact person.

Items may also be e-mailed to northcountrypeople@wdt.net or communityscrapbook@wdt.net.

People notes are published in Currents as space allows on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. High-resolution photos also may be submitted. Picture quality, space allowances and news judgments will determine if a photo is used.

If you would like a photo returned, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and clearly label the back of the photograph. Photos can also be picked up in person at the Times Library. Without these directives, photos sent to the Times will not be saved for more than 30 days from the submission date or returned.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer