We’re going to cut the rural bus service because it’s costing $500 per year per rider in subsidy costs. If that’s a real concern, how much is it costing in subsidy to fund rural air service? A traveler can fly to Albany and back for about $150-200. The actual cost of the ticket? $1,400. So we can subsidize air service to the tune of $1.200 per ticket per ride, but we can’t subsidize a bus passenger $500 per year? Is this because hourly workers and the Amish don’t fly?

In response to the Sound Off that mentioned private voice lessons (“Music Program a Luxury,” March 30-April 5) I would like to say that when I was a student at PCS there weren’t private voice lessons. There were small group lessons for four to five students. I am writing because I feel strongly that the elementary students do not deserve to loose their art teacher. When I was in elementary school I was sad that art was only once a week.The art room was a relaxing place where I could learn and socialize comfortably. What I was unaware of was that I was developing a vital part of my brain.

POTSDAM – A Potsdam man is accused of assault, imprisonment, criminal mischief and other charges, and his grandmother is charged with mischief, in connection with events around an alleged domestic dispute in the town and village of Potsdam.

POTSDAM -- Little Italy, 30 Market St., was named the March Pride in Potsdam Nominee by the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce’s Town & Gown Committee.

Little Italy has been open in Potsdam for over six years. Darin Richards and Jessika Furnace have been running the pizzeria since May of 2008.

They are being recognized for the recent interior painting and accessories, and their expansion into offering delivery service.

MASSENA -- The Easter Bunny will hop into his Spring Easter Garden in Center Court at the St. Lawrence Centre on the following dates:

Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 10, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, April 13 and 14, 12 to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 17, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

HEUVELTON -- The Heuvelton Lions Club will serve a roast beef dinner on April 9 at the Heuvelton Fire Department.

Price will be $8 and serving starts at 4 p.m.

Proceeds of the dinner go toward scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

After watching the events unfold this weekend overseas in the Arab -African nation of Libya all I want to say to the powers that be is” What the heck are you idiots thinking? A third war over in the Middle East that’s going to get more of our brave young men and women killed for nothing more than a second-rate civil war! Don’t you think it might have been proper to consult our Congress-people or Senators before involving our armed forces in a conflict that presents no direct danger to the safety of the U.S.? We’ve made enough mistakes. Are we trying to fight the whole world?

Teachers can keep telling people about how much education they have to have to teach in New York and then compare themselves to private industry managers making more money. If I am not satisfied with something a private industry is doing or their CEO is making in wages, I can elect to not use or purchase their products. With the teachers I have no option. They use the students as hostages for their inflated health care plans and what do we get for this in return? High dropout rates and scores on mandated tests below the expected.

Images from the forthcoming book Real to Reel by Clarkson University Communication & Media Professor Stephen D. Farina will appear in an upcoming gallery exhibition at the MAC650 Gallery in Middletown, Conn.

The exhibition, UNTITLED: Graphic Books, Art Books, and Literary Art Illustrating a Diverse World, runs April 9-30.

Other writer/artists to be included are Charlotte Salomon, Richard Kraft, Robert Seydel, LisaAnn LoBasso, and Tomie Hahn.