The north

10 years ago

Dec. 3, 2002: More than 80 McCadam Cheese employees here will lose their jobs as a result of the company’s impending purchase by a Massachusetts dairy cooperative. Village officials were told of the sale and lost jobs on Monday. Financial details of the purchase were not released.

25 years ago

Dec. 3, 1987: A hiring freeze is in effect at Fort Drum. Drum and other Army posts across the nation have stopped hiring civilians until the end of the year while the impact of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit-reduction law is assessed.

50 years ago

Dec. 3, 1962: The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of $66,700 to Potsdam State University College for a summer institute for 65 secondary school teachers of science and mathematics. Two courses will be offered in each subject matter area: biology, chemistry, earth science, physics and mathematics.

75 years ago

Dec. 3, 1937: The mercury took a sudden drop overnight here when it went down to 16 degrees above, equaling the coldest reading of the season. At Owls Head, traditional icebox of the state, the mercury overnight sank to 5 degrees below zero.

100 years ago

Dec. 3, 1912: Through an unconfirmed report it was learned this morning that the Watertown Light & Power Co. is commencing operation on the construction of a Watertown to Carthage trolley line to include the interurban stations between the two places.

125 years ago

Dec. 3, 1887: No arrests were made in this city during the week, and yet some editors think Watertown a terribly wicked city.

150 years ago

Dec. 3, 1862: A list of articles sent by the Ladies of Limerick, Jefferson County, and forwarded to the Watertown Soldiers Aid Society: 10 new shirts; 20 pairs of drawers; 13 pairs slippers; 4 pairs socks; 9 towels; 1 coat; 1 pair pillowcases; 2 quilts; 1 flannel blanket; 2 pillows; 11½ lbs. dried apples; 5 lbs. dried plums; 1 can currant jelly; 1 can tomato pickles; cash $100.

The world

Today is Monday, Dec. 3, the 338th day of 2012. There are 28 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Dec. 3, 1992, the first telephone text message was sent by British engineer Neil Papworth, who transmitted the greeting “Merry Christmas” from his work computer in Newbury, Berkshire, to Vodafone executive Richard Jarvis’s mobile phone.

Ten years ago: Thousands of personnel files released under a court order showed that the Archdiocese of Boston went to great lengths to hide priests accused of abuse, including clergy who’d allegedly snorted cocaine and had sex with girls aspiring to be nuns. U.N. weapons inspectors made their first unannounced visit to one of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s presidential palaces.

Five years ago: A U.S. intelligence report concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons development program in the fall of 2003 under international pressure but was continuing to enrich uranium. British teacher Gillian Gibbons, jailed in Sudan for insulting Islam after allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad, flew home after being pardoned by the country’s president. Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame; former Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, managers Dick Williams and Billy Southworth and ex-Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss also were elected.

Thought for Today: “What the world really needs is more love and less paper work.” — Pearl Bailey, American entertainer (1918-1990).

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