Editorial illustration for the Watertown Post Daily Brief.
Thursday, October 8, 2026 | Watertown Post
Watertown planners oppose Ives Hill clubhouse rezoning
Watertown’s Planning Commission has unanimously opposed a zoning change intended to let the Ives Hill Country Club clubhouse operate independently of the golf course. Owner Jake Johnson wants the clubhouse property moved from residential zoning to neighborhood mixed use, allowing the restaurant to remain open even if the course does not. Johnson offered a deed restriction limiting future uses to a restaurant or office, but a commission member questioned the cost of enforcing that restriction. The five-member commission’s opposition does not end the proposal. The central issue remains how to preserve the restaurant while addressing neighbors’ concerns about future commercial development.
Massena data center’s status under state moratorium remains unresolved
A proposed 1.5 million-square-foot data center in Massena may fall outside New York’s temporary restrictions on large data-center development, according to October 7 reporting from North Country Public Radio. Town officials say the developer would not need new discretionary state permits, the approvals targeted by the moratorium. State officials have not confirmed that interpretation. NYDIG and North Country Collocation Services propose the 635-megawatt facility at the former Alcoa East/Reynolds industrial site near the St. Lawrence River. Environmental review and other approvals remain ahead, according to the town supervisor, and the town board’s earlier rejection of a local moratorium did not authorize construction.
Fort Drum live-fire exercise completes a year of training
Six platoons concluded a year of training at Fort Drum with a live-fire exercise Wednesday, October 7, demonstrating their proficiency with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, commonly called HIMARS. Soldiers from the 3-12 Field Artillery Long Range Fires Battalion practiced operating the mobile launchers, supported by communications personnel coordinating firing information. Capt. Mahlon Robertson told WWNY that all sections had achieved their Table 12 certification, marking the completion of the training effort. The exercise highlighted both the launcher crews and the supporting coordination needed to operate the system, which is designed to fire and then quickly move from its position.
Watertown YMCA brings exercise and education together for healthy aging
The Watertown Family YMCA’s Healthy Aging event on Wednesday, October 7, combined hands-on activities with information about staying well throughout adulthood. Participants made homemade protein bars in the downtown YMCA’s community kitchen and sampled activities including Pilates, barre and spin classes. The program also included sessions addressing hearing loss and Medicare, with representatives from community organizations available to answer questions. YMCA leaders emphasized that healthy aging is relevant well before retirement and that the programming was not limited to seniors. The event gave residents an opportunity to explore several of the YMCA’s fitness, cooking and educational offerings in one day.
Plattsburgh prepares for a weekend honoring the Battle of Valcour Island
The Navy Band Northeast’s Pops Ensemble will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 10, in Giltz Auditorium at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Hawkins Hall as the region commemorates the Battle of Valcour Island. The 30-member wind and percussion ensemble’s program includes patriotic music, traditional band selections and Broadway favorites. Activities continue at Plattsburgh City Beach at 10 a.m. Sunday, October 11, with music, the Saranac Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s 131st commemoration ceremony, and a narrated reenactment on Cumberland Bay. Organizers say Sunday’s events are also free and recommend bringing a chair.
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