Spaghetti Dinner Thursday, Comedians Saturday For OCF

Fundraisers are underway to help pay for buses traveling to Albany on March 23, organized by the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility Task Force to rally support for the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility that is slated to close in April of 2011 under Gov. David A. Paterson's proposed budget.

The bus trip to Albany will allow members of the community to rally on the steps of the state capitol building as well as allow others to talk to members of the Senate and Assembly to urge them to rewrite the governor's budget to keep the Ogdensburg prison open.

The OCF Employee Benefit Fund (EBF) will be having a spaghetti dinner Thursday from 4-7 p.m. at the Odd Fellows hall at the corner of Rt. 37 and Linden Road. Cost is $7 per meal and all proceeds will be going to offset the costs of the buses. Meals will be delivered in Ogdensburg.

The OCF Task Force has also set up an account at the ARC, State Street, Ogdensburg, for anyone wishing to donate cans or bottles to the cause as well as an account at Community Bank, NA., for those wishing to make monetary donations.

Both accounts are under "Save OCF."

On Saturday, the Ogdensburg Elks Lodge will be hosting nationally renowned comedians Keith Alberstadt and Joe Larson for an evening of comedy to benefit the cause.

For each ticket sold, the lodge will donate $5 to the account at Community Bank. The night of laughter is scheduled to get started with a dinner of either prime rib or chicken cordon bleu. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. with the show to follow at 8 p.m.

Tickets for dinner and the show are available for $30, while tickets for just the show are $15. Tickets may be purchased at the lodge, The Place or Kimro's Medicine Place.

On March 19, Myers Pub will be holding a fundraiser from 4 p.m. until finished. Harold C. Myers, owner of Myers Pub, said that donations of any amount will be sought at the door and the OCF Task Force will receive 25 percent of the gross earnings at the bar to help pay for the buses.

There will be 50/50 drawings and entertainment provided by DJ Don Dietschweiler.