DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office for the month of May 2013:

May 3

Sir Bounce A Lot, 201 N. Orchard St., Watertown, James Wood, 201 N. Orchard St., Watertown.

DiPrinzio’s Italian Market and Catering, 240 Cartier Ave., Clayton, Christopher DiPrinzio, 240 Cartier Ave., Clayton.

May 2

Augustine K9 Training, 8526 Spraight Loop, Fort Drum, Kimberly Augustine, 8526 Spraight Loop, Fort Drum.

May 1

Precision Landscaping, 17011 State Route 3, Watertown, Vincent G. Puccia, 17011 State Route 3, Watertown.

Kindermusik with Alicia Manning, 8520 LeRay St., Evans Mills, Alicia Marie Manning, 9744B Washington Loop, Fort Drum.

Workers install the framework for the entrance to Bottle Caps Beverage Center, a separate business located in the same building as Arsenal Street Wine & Liquor Depot. The new business will enable all types of alcohol to be sold, without requiring customers to drive to a different location, while at the same time complying with state law. Photo by Amanda Morrison/Watertown Daily Times.

Under state law, beer and wine can’t be sold in the same store. But Mary R. Miles, owner of Arsenal Street Wine & Liquor Depot, found a solution to that problem.

Cases of cold beer will be sold by Bottle Caps Beverage Center, a convenience store being built in the basement of the building occupied by the wine store at 940 Arsenal St. An array of brews will be showcased in a large walk-in cooler at the business, a 2,400-square-foot retail space separated from Arsenal Street Wine that’s set to open at the end of May.

The new store’s outdoor entrance on the building’s west end will include a staircase and handicapped lift station leading into the retail space. Bottle Caps will have a separate parking lot, Mrs. Miles said, and will be staffed by four employees and a manager.

Although a wall in the basement area has an opening leading to the wine store, she said, it soon will be closed off to comply with state guidelines. Customers who wish to visit both stores will have to step outside and walk to the opposite entrance.

“This whole space was just sitting here in the basement, so I decided to make use of it as a retail space,” said the 43-year-old owner, who launched her wine and liquor store in March 2009. Bottle Caps will sell beer — including craft and microbrew varieties — and grocery items, such as snacks, juice and soda. It will include a collection of cigars, to be housed in a 48-square-foot walk-in humidor that will ensure they stay fresh and retain flavor.

The offerings at Bottle Caps will complement the other store, Mrs. Miles said, by giving customers a chance to find everything they want at both spots without driving elsewhere. She said the growth of wine sales at the depot, staffed by seven employees, set the stage for launching Bottle Caps this year. The store has a wall with more than 200 varieties of New York wines, she said, and is seeking to expand sales on its website. She said the success of her business has been driven largely by the north country’s burgeoning wine industry, as eight wineries are based in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Bottle Caps Beverage Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

-Ted Booker, Watertown Daily Times staff writer

The Fireside at Partridge Berry Inn, 26561 Route 3, Watertown, closed its restaurant last week to become exclusively an event center.

The restaurant, which was open Wednesday through Saturday, had been revived by owners Bruce C. and Lynn M. Strough, who purchased the business in the fall of 2010. But because of rising demand for special events, such as weddings, anniversaries and special parties, the owners decided to shut down the restaurant. Mrs. Strough said feedback from clients requesting more special events spurred the decision.

“Many of our patrons are off to summer cottages and vacations,” she said in an email. “We felt this would be a good time to make the transition.”

Mrs. Strough said space previously occupied by the restaurant will be used to accommodate more special events.

The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office in the month of April 2013:

April 16

Town of Canton: 0.92 acres more or less, in Lot 6 of Mile Square 7, bounded by County Route 14, North Country Savings Bank, Canton, sold to Patrick and Michelle Downing, Rensselaer Falls $33,000

Village of Massena: Unknown acres, bounded by Woodlawn Avenue, Giovanni and Carolyn Jermano, Massena, sold to Douglas E. Gormley, Massena $34,000

Village of Massena: 0.223 of an acre more or less, bounded by Amherst Road, Kenneth J. and Cherie L. McGown, Massena, sold to Joseph R. Granger II, Massena $63,000

April 15

Town of Madrid: Two parcels, 1) 1.94 acres more or less, and 2) 0.25 of an acre more or less, both in Lot 52, bounded by County Route 14, Bradley L. Ward, Swannanoa, N.C., sold to Timothy Burcume, Madrid $74,250

Town of Hopkinton: 1.96 acres more or less, bounded by Converse Road and County Route 49, Bryan and Virginia Burnett, Winthrop, and Dale and Irene Burnett, Winthrop, sold to Dustan and Carlyn McKee, Potsdam $41,000

Town of Stockholm: 1 74/100 acres more or less, in Lot 60, bounded by state Route 11, Natalie H. Mattot, Fulton, sold to Timothy A. Vollmer, Potsdam $109,500

April 12

Town of Lisbon: Unknown acres, in Lot 3, bounded by Route 37, Joseph R. and Donna J. Maloney, Ogdensburg, sold to George W. and Susan M. Robinson, Hancock, Mich. $129,000

Town of Potsdam: Two parcels, 1) 90 acres more or less, and 2) 13.24 acres more or less, both in Mile Square 34, bounded by Morgan and Waite roads, Randy Martin, Potsdam, sold to Adon Farms, Potsdam $100,000

Town of Fine: Two parcels, 1) 1 5/100 of an acre more or less, and 2) 0.14 of an acre more or less, both in Lot 82, bounded by Coffin Mills Road, William J. Gallagher, Oswego, Joseph R. Comerford III, Oswego, and Dennis A. Dorsey, Oswego, sold to William J. Gallagher and Dennis A. Dorsey, Oswego $27,500

Town of Norfolk: Unknown acres, bounded by Front Street, Richard Bond, Norfolk, sold to Lawrence W. and Jamie N. Labarge, Norfolk $31,500

Town of Massena: 0.61 of an acre more or less, being a part of Lot 8, bounded by Hall Road, Gerald M. and Patricia L. Soulia, Rooseveltown, sold to Jeremy G. Soulia, Massena $40,00

Town of Brasher: 0.67 of an acre more or less, bounded by state Route 11C, David J. Susice Jr. and Debra A. Susice, Winthrop, sold to Wendy LaClair, Potsdam $95,000

Village of Heuvelton: 0.36 of an acre more or less, bounded by Water Street, Emma Lou Terwilliger, John Terwilliger and Lora A. Martin (administrator), Robert J. Terwilliger, Heuvelton, sold to Riverside Veneer Co. Inc., Heuvelton $47,000

Town of DeKalb: Unknown acres, in Lot 161, Riverside Veneer Co. Inc., Heuvelton, sold to John Terwilliger, Heuvelton $30,100

Town of Canton: Unknown parcels, unknown acres, bounded by West Front Street and River roads, Dominic S. Infantine, Rensselaer Falls, sold to Evelyn F. Infantine, Rensselaer Falls $102,000

April 11

Town of Fine: Unknown acres, bounded by Ridge Road, Jeffrey J. Woods, Newton Falls, sold to Joseph G. and Doreen M. Di Paolo, Franklinville, N.J. $29,900

Town of Waddington: 88.73 acres more or less, in Mile Square 33, bounded by Franklin Road, Patrick E. and Cheryl D. Ruddy, Madrid, sold to Dalton Farms LLC, Madrid $38,000

April 10

Town of Edwards: 88 87/100 acres more or less, in Lot 57 of Township 8, bounded by Highway 21, Keith E. Hall, Bellport, sold to Gary E. and Bonnie Hall, Harrisville and Gary G. and Terry J. Hall, Russell $25,000

April 9

Village of Massena: 0.154 of an acre more or less, bounded by Ames Street, Kevin P. Pryce, Massena, sold to Thomas W. Post, Massena $33,000

Village of Massena: Unknown acres, in Lot 41, bounded by Ames Street, Kevin P. Pryce, Massena, sold to Thomas W. Post, Massena $33,000

Town of Parishville: Two parcels, 1) 1 30/100 acres more or less, and 2) unknown acres, both bounded by Woodward Lot and Morgan Lot, Wallace B. McAloon, Parishville, sold to Amvets Post 265, Parishville $40,000

April 8

Town of Massena: Unknown acres, in Lot 1 of Block 102, bounded by Stearns Street, Alexander Jock, Massena, sold to Wendall D. and Sandra Jock, Hogansburg, and Frederick Jock, Massena $65,000

Town of Russell: Unknown acres, in Lots 2 and 4, bounded by McCarthy Road, Douglas R. Dodge, Oswego, sold to Otis M. and Grace M. Woods, Gouverneur $45,000

Town of Potsdam: 5 acres more or less, bounded by Flat Rock Road, Paul L. Brown, Potsdam, sold to Rosemary Forbes, Potsdam $60,000

Village of Potsdam: 0.11 of an acre more or less, bounded by Market Street, Joanne M. Lepine, Dixmont, Maine, sold to Darrell L. and Laurie B. Christensen, King George, Va. $43,000

April  5

Town of Lawrence: Three parcels, 1) 1 5/100 acres more or less, and 2 and 3) unknown acres, all bounded by Deer River, William H. Sochia and Rose Marie K. Costanzo, North Lawrence, sold to Evan S. Harper Jr. and Connie J. Harper, Parishville $42,800

City of Ogdensburg: Unknown parcels and unknown acres, in Lots 4 and 5 of Block 21, Michael G. Armano (ancillary administrator), Estate of Joseph N. Armano, Ogdensburg, sold to Mark T. and Martha M. Valley, Ogdensburg $45,000

Town of Madrid: Four parcels, 1) 6.72 acres more or less, 2) 3.44 acres more or less, 3) 36.36 acres more or less, and 4) 53 62/100 acres more or less, all bounded by Chipman Corners and Dennis roads, Clark Baker, Madrid, sold to Kevin and Phyllis Acres, Madrid $130,000

Village of Norwood: Town of Potsdam, unknown acres, in Lot 4, bounded by Morgan Street, Stacy M. Sessions, Norwood, sold to David Fortune, West Chazy $147,000

Town of Rossie: Six parcels, 1) 103 40/100 acres more or less, 2) 11 90/100 acres more or less, 3) 1/2 acre more or less, 4) 40 79/100 acres more or less, 5) 93/100 of an acre more or less, and 6) 2 81/100 acres more or less, all in Ore Bed Tract, Ronald and Marion Monica, Gouverneur, sold to Eli and Mary Zook, Ebensburg, Pa. $160,000

April 4

Town of Morristown: 6.95 acres more or less, bounded by English Settlement Road, Philippe J. Bertrand, Ogdensburg, Georgette M. Young, East Syracuse, Louise S. Crann, Newton, N.J., Jacques Bertrand, Suffolk, Va., Bernard M. Bertrand, Ogdensburg, Marcel M. Bertrand, Brookline, Mass., Gisele Carney, Surfside Beach, S.C., and J. Donald Bertrand, Ogdensburg, sold to Marcel M. Bertrand, Brookline, Mass. $42,000

Town of Fowler: Two parcels, 1) 0.819 of an acre more or less, and 2) 0.68 of an acre more or less, both in Lot 79, bounded by Cross Road, Norman J. and Jacquelyn A. Young, Carthage, sold to Clark R. Porter, Gouverneur $45,000

Town of Fine: Two parcels, 1) 1.807 acres more or less, and 2) unknown acres, both bounded by Lake Road and Colby Street, Robert D. and Carlota G. Loeb, Leaky, Texas, sold to Robert P. Tebo III and Virginia Tebo, Star Lake $162,000

Town of Pitcairn: Unknown parcels and unknown acres, bounded by state Route 3, Land First Inc., Lacona, sold to Derek E. and Andrea Tarolli, Warners $130,000

Town of Massena: Two parcels, 1) 1 acres more or less, and 2) unknown acres, both bounded by Massena Springs and South Racket River Road, Marie R. Ryan, Potsdam, sold to Chad W. Amo, Massena $38,500

April 3

Town of Stockholm: Unknown acres, in Mile Square Lots 32 and 42, bounded by Grist Mill Lot, Paul B. and Catherine H. Compeau, Brasher Falls, sold to Gerald A. and Jacqueline M. Diles, Winthrop $29,500

Town of Norfolk: Two parcels, unknown acres, in Mile Square 53, bounded by County Highway 40, Joann B. Snider, Massena and Richard Snider, Massena, sold to Richard and Deborah Snider, Massena $40,000

April 2

Village of Canton: Two parcels, unknown acres, in Mile Square 4 of the 6th Range, Roy D. and Jean A. St. Andrews, Canton, sold to Jason A. Casey and Erin M. Bromley, Potsdam $140,980

Town of Colton: Unknown acres, in Section 21, bounded by state Route 56, Kenneth L. and Laura P. LaVigne, Norfolk, sold to Ronald J. Curtis, Canton $30,000

Village of Massena: Unknown acres, bounded by Hazel and Walnut avenues, Alexandra C. Markell, Ladson, S.C., sold to North Country Savings Bank, Canton$72,544

Town of Lawrence: 10 acres more or less, bounded by Fisk Road, Janet Martin, Valley Falls, sold to Sue Breen, Fulton $45,000

April 1

Town of Waddington: 3.10 acres more or less, bounded by Franklin Road, Lorraine Hicks, Waddington, sold to Chris E. and April J. Louie, Malone $116,000

Town of Gouverneur: Unknown acres, bounded by Main Road, Fox Farm Properties Inc., Adams, sold to Hometown Holdings LLC, Jackson, Wyo. $35,000

Town of Fowler: Parcel 1) 82 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 30 15/100 acres more or less, both parcels are in Great Tract 3, bounded by Turnpike Creek, Douglas Marris, Ocala, Fla., sold to Scott and Elizabeth Ashley, Gouverneur $65,000

Village of Gouverneur: Unknown acres, bounded by John Street, John and Janice Kuninsky, Hermon, sold to Tracy L. Young, Antwerp $40,000

Town of Massena: 1.911 acres more or less, bounded by County Road 42, Ti-Blatta LLC, New York, sold to Ogene LLC, Paramus, N.J. $450,000

Town of Stockholm: Parcel 1) 63 6/100 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 71 61/100 acres more or less, both Parcels are in Mile Square 31, Marijo E. Thompson, Brasher Falls, sold to Dale S. Thompson and Kristy A. Winthrop $30,000

Supporting commercial agriculture is a vital role of Jefferson County’s Industrial Development Agency, according to county legislators.

The Jefferson County Board of Legislators Planning and Development Committee gave its unequivocal support Tuesday night to an Assembly bill that would give IDAs throughout the state the ability “to provide technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers that grow, harvest, or produce agricultural products in New York state.”

“Agriculture is a major part of our economy and to have that not get equal consideration is just inconceivable,” said Legislator Barry M. Ormsby, R-Belleville, chairman of the committee. “We’re hoping that we can get cooperation from the Assembly.”

The JCIDA recently received a letter from the state comptroller’s office instructing it not to work with agri-businesses in Jefferson County, according to Legislator Michael J. Docteur, R-Cape Vincent, who also sits on the JCIDA board of directors.

The issue received attention last week after JCIDA’s CEO Donald C. Alexander revealed to New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine that, due to an omission in the legislation that created IDAs, his organization was potentially operating beyond the scope of its powers by working with agriculture.

The revelation came as a shock to Mr. Aubertine, who called the omission a “missing link.”

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, said the goal of the legislation is to explicitly include agriculture in the definition for economic development.

As for the passage of the bill, “To me it seems like something we should be able to do without much trouble,” Mrs. Russell said.

Assemblyman Kenneth D. Blankenbush, R-Black River, who served two terms as chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators before being elected to the state Assembly, signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill Tuesday.

Mr. Blankenbush was a member of the board when the position of agricultural coordinator was first created at the JCIDA. The position has been occupied by Jay M. Matteson since its creation in 2001.

“I supported that position then and I certainly would support that position now,” Mr. Blankenbush said.

During Mr. Aubertine’s presentation, Mr. Alexander said he would continue to work with agriculture but by doing so he was putting Mr. Matteson and the rest of his staff at risk.

“Give me clarity. That’s all I’m looking for,” Mr. Alexander said Tuesday.

The bill is with the Local Governments Committee but has not yet been added to the committee agenda, according to Mrs. Russell.

spending the bed tax

The County’s Planning and Development Committee also voted to spend $150,000 of its occupancy tax surplus to fund five programs that will promote tourism in the county.

The county has recently experienced a boom in occupancy tax funds as population growth in Jefferson County has fostered an increase in hotel rooms.

Occupancy tax is assessed at a rate of 3 percent of daily room charges. Revenue is split between the county and the cities and towns where the hotels are located.

The programs are:

■ Promote the Jefferson County Wine Trail. Cost: $25,000.

■ Obtain High Definition video and photography of county tourism highlights. Cost: $25,000.

■ Promote county fishing resources. Cost: $40,000 with an additional $60,000 from the state.

■ Promote county historic sites. Cost: $10,000 with an additional $100,000 from the state.

■ Market the Watertown International Airport to Canadian business and leisure air travelers in Eastern Ontario and the border region. Cost: $50,000.

Mr. Ormsby, chairman of the sponsoring committee, said the $50,000 will be spent at the airport “to continue to demonstrate to our carrier — American Eagle — that we are still experiencing growth” with the ultimate goal of moving toward three daily weekday flights.

Airport going solo

In other airport-related matters, members of the General Services Committee voted to establish a separate Airport Department.

The airport currently falls under the Highway Department and is managed by County Highway Superintendent James L. Lawrence.

“It’s grown too much,” according to General Services Chairman Philip N. Reed, R-Fishers Landing, and needs its own department.

The county will be looking for an airport manager and money for the position has already been set aside in the budget. The salary will be approximately $60,000.

The local law establishing the Airport Department will first be the subject of a public hearing at 7 p.m. June 4 in the Board of Legislators Chambers at 195 Arsenal Street.

The end goal is to make the airport an enterprise fund — a business running inside a government that is self-sustaining and capable of turning a profit, according to Mr. Reed.

The committee also conducted a brief discussion about a draft local law governing the disposal of solid waste written by the Development Authority of the North Country.

Flow control, enforcement of the law, permitting of trash haulers and the mandatory use of clear garbage bags were the four points debated.

The committee passed its recommendations on to the county administration, who will take the suggestions into account and prepare a draft that will be further tweaked by the committee before being voted on.

Flow control, a provision stipulating that any trash generated in the county must be sent to the county’s designated solid waste disposal facility, was dismissed as a nonissue at the meeting.

The measure will likely not be included in the version of the local law that is eventually brought forward to be considered by the full board.

-Daniel Flatley, Watertown Daily Times staff writer

General manager of COR Development Co., Steven F. Aiello, at the construction site for Beaver Meadows Apartments, Watertown. Photo by Norm Johnston/NNY Business.

Plans for a 364-unit apartment complex in West Carthage were scrapped in January because a market study commissioned by COR Development Co. created serious concerns for financiers, according to COR General Manager Steven F. Aiello.

“We would have been pleased to have done the project there, but the market study didn’t support it. There were financial challenges getting the project built there,” Mr. Aiello said. “We have an obligation to the state to make sure the project had the best opportunity to be successful.”

In December, the project was awarded a $2 million grant through the state’s Regional Economic Development Council awards as part of a $90.2 million initiative to stimulate the economy and create jobs in the north country.

COR had been under contract to develop the site with Carthage-based Lunco Corp., owned by Michael E. Lundy, beginning last July 20, according to Joseph B. Gerardi, legal counsel for COR.

COR would have built the housing portion at the back of the Johnson property southwest of North Broad and Franklin streets. Lunco Corp. was to develop the 16-acre retail portion at the front of the site.

That contract was an agreement based on several contingencies, including the suitability of the site as determined by independent due diligence.

Upon completion of the proprietary market study commissioned by COR, Mr. Aiello sent a letter to Mr. Lundy stating, in part, “we have determined that the Contingencies in our Purchase Agreement cannot be satisfied and the agreement is therefore terminated as of this date.”

The letter is dated Jan. 3.

Last week, COR announced that it would be demolishing the former Mercy Hospital in Watertown to redevelop the site into a mixed-use complex combining residential, retail and business development.

The change in plans “had nothing to do with somebody luring us away,” Mr. Aiello said Tuesday.

Mr. Aiello said the urban revitalization and mixed-use opportunities presented by the Mercy site were a better fit for the criteria set forth in the market study and had a higher likelihood of success.

“Our lenders are very encouraged by the site and are prepared to move forward once we get the approvals in place,” Mr. Aiello said.

The $2 million grant likely will follow the project.

While the move to the Mercy site has been characterized as a victory by city and county representatives, it came as a disappointment for West Carthage officials.

“We knew when COR moved on Mercy their interest was out of West Carthage,” said West Carthage Mayor Scott M. Burto.

Although Mr. Lundy could not be reached for comment, Mr. Burto said he believes Mr. Lundy is “still pursuing additional investors,” although the scope of the project may change.

“It was great news for the city of Watertown and a good reuse of Mercy,” Mr. Burto said. “Unfortunately for us, our Planning Board and the village spent a lot of time in filing plans to move the (Broad Street) project forward.”

Village Planning Board Chairman Ronald J. Blinebry had no comment about COR pulling out except to say, “That’s what a planning board does, review the plans brought to us. It doesn’t matter if a plan doesn’t go through.”

-Daniel Flatley, Watertown Daily Times staff writer. Johnson Newspapers writer Elaine M. Avallone contributed to this report.

North country counties saw an increase in first-quarter sales tax receipts, with Lewis County seeing a particularly big jump following a return to more typical winter weather.

“I attribute it to the snow,” said Lewis County Treasurer Patricia L. O’Brien, whose county saw a 5.9 percent hike. “We didn’t have snow last year, and this year we did.”

On a 3.75 percent sales tax rate, the county received $2,396,615.29 in sales tax payments from January through March, up $132,583 from $2,264,032.26 during that same period last year.

Meanwhile, in St. Lawrence County, which has a 3 percent rate, first-quarter sales taxes rose slightly, from $10,094,382.53 to $10,282,041.06. The increase of $187,688.53 represented a hike of 1.9 percent.

“We are always pleased to see an increase in sales tax, not only the tax itself, but because it indicates there is economic activity going on and that people are hopeful,” County Administrator Karen M. St. Hilaire said.

Following an unseasonably warm winter a year ago that played havoc with the Tug Hill region’s lucrative snowmobile industry, Lewis County’s 2012 first-quarter receipts dipped by 1.3 percent over the prior year.

However, with snow again covering the ground for much of this winter, that figure has rebounded.

“It was good for business for us,” Mrs. O’Brien said.

Receipts from the county’s hotel occupancy tax, also known as bed tax, also seem to bear out the treasurer’s theory.

After $24,806 in the first three months of 2011, first-quarter bed tax receipts dropped to $17,894 last year before rising to $28,714 this year, according to figures provided by Mrs. O’Brien.

Anne L. Merrill, executive director at the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, said some owners of snow-dependent businesses have reported that the winter, while much better than last year, still was not exceptional. However, she said she has spoken with only a relatively small sampling thus far.

Meanwhile, Ms. St. Hilaire attributed part of her county’s increase to anecdotal reports that more Canadians are shopping in the county.

“If more Canadians are coming over, we’d certainly welcome that,” said St. Lawrence County Legislative Chairman Jonathan S. Putney, D-Waddington. “I’d love to know if that was a factor.”

The increase is a positive sign, Mr. Putney said.

“Certainly, any additional sales tax revenue can be used to decrease property taxes and maintain services,” he said.

Jefferson County also saw an increase in first-quarter sales tax receipts, but only by 0.9 percent.

Lewis County retains all its receipts for county government operations, while St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties distribute a percentage of sales tax receipts to their cities, towns and villages.

-Steve Virkler and Martha Ellen, Watertown Daily Times staff writers

People meander around Sunday during the Sportsman’s Expo at the Massena Arena. A piebald deer mount sits in the foreground. Photo by Melanie Kimbler-Lago/Watertown Daily Times.

MASSENA — Lovers of the great outdoors filled the Massena Arena over the weekend for the 35th annual Massena Rod & Gun Club Sportsman’s Expo.

Hunting and fishing were on prominent display, with vendors peddling everything from smoked venison to all-terrain vehicles.

Club President Mark S. Billing usually has been busy running the club’s tables during previous shows, he said, but this year he finally was able to see everything it had to offer.

“This is the first year I’ve had a chance to go around and meet all the vendors,” he said.

The sound of turkeys filled the arena as Kenneth B. Hammell, Parishville, showed off the locally made Mountain Hollow Game Calls.

“This is the smallest show that we do, but we do it because we’re from the area,” Mr. Hammell said. Mountain Hollow Game Calls has been around for more than 30 years, and things are going well.

“Business is way up. We can’t even keep up with production right now,” Mr. Hammell said.

Area hunting and fishing enthusiasts, many clad in camouflage, wandered through the arena with their families and chatted with the vendors.

For children too young to buy a hunting knife or enter an auction for a new rifle, the show offered pony rides and a trip into a simulated mine.

“We have gems and minerals from all over the world,” said David E. Blakely of Syracuse, creator of the “Olde Erie Mine.”

Children could pan for fossils or don a headlamp or explore a trailer covered in fake stone to look like a pitch-black mine, complete with hidden minerals they could search for and keep.

“It’s like baseball cards; you never know what you’re going to get,” Mr. Blakely said.

The show is the year’s primary fundraiser for the Massena Rod & Gun Club. More than 1,700 people came Saturday, according to Mr. Billing, partially because of rainy skies.

“I’m not sorry about the nasty weather,” he said. “It drove people inside.”

Most of the vendors were local, but Paul C. Hellmann drove eight hours from Erie, Pa. His business, Someday Isle Tackle, sells fishing lures and jewelry made from lures.

This was his second time at the show, and he said it is great to come back and see how previous customers are doing.

“A lot of guys have your stuff already, and they can tell you what they’ve caught and what they haven’t. It’s good to see how your stuff is doing,” he said.

-Jacob Tierney, Watertown Daily Times staff writer

County officials are publicly expressing concern that sales tax revenues may fall below their projections, following the release of totals for the first fiscal quarter.

On Saturday, County Legislator Scott A. Gray, R-Watertown and chairman of the Board of Legislators’ Finance and Rules Committee, said the numbers could be linked to recent deployments at Fort Drum.

“We respect Fort Drum has a job to do. … We can’t be so selfish that they have to stay here to spend money. They have a job to do.” Mr. Gray said. “However, it does have an effect on our economy.”

The county’s calculation, issued Friday evening, showed that the county received $7,619,090 during the quarter, a mere 0.89 percent more than the same period last year. For fiscal year 2013, the county’s budget projects $34,250,000 in sales tax revenues —a 3.79 percent increase from last year’s budgeted total of $33 million.

“The bottom line is that making budget will be tight as of this point in time,” Mr. Gray had said in an email message Friday.

About 3,000 to 3,500 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st and 2nd Brigade Combat Teams deployed to Afghanistan this winter, soon to be joined by about 2,200 personnel from the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.

Other factors also could have contributed to the flat sales tax figures, Mr. Gray said, but the impact of the troop numbers on the local economy is more quantifiable.

After strong tax revenue numbers for January and February, the county’s tax revenues in March dropped 10 percent from the year before. However, figures from the county showed a similar drop occurred in 2011 and 2009.

Mr. Gray said Saturday that the March totals usually include revenue adjustments for previous months, and within the next week he would determine more about the cause for the monthly drop.

His email Friday said the numbers were a “less than stellar” start to the year.

He also presented a pair of scenarios about budget performance: If the projections are based on last year’s sales tax collections alone, the county would hit its $34,250,000 target this year with only $145,388 to spare. However, if the projections were based on an average tally from the 2008 through 2012 fiscal years, the county would collect $33,456,095, about 2.32 percent under its goal.

The county’s sales tax calculation can be found at: www.scribd.com/doc/135772901/Jefferson-County-NY-1st-Quarter-Sales-Tax.

-Gordon Block, Watertown Daily Times staff writer