By CRAIG FREILICH

The number of smokers in St. Lawrence County has dropped eight percent in recent years, but experts are concerned that a 10-year decline among youth might have halted.

Local experts say their goal is to stop people from smoking before they start, so they are focusing on keeping young people from lighting a first cigarette.

“Ninety percent of current adult smokers started at or before the age of 18,” said St. Lawrence County Tobacco Program Coordinator Ben Todd.

POTSDAM – A SUNY Potsdam faculty member is one of 42 poets chosen, out of 1,063 applicants, to receive a $25,000 grant in support of his work.

Dr. James Allen Hall, an assistant professor in the college’s Department of English and Communication, is named a 2011 Creative Writing Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Laurentian Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club’s outing schedule for the winter is complete, including the traditional New Year’s Day potluck and ski.

More details are available from the leader listed. Events are:

• Jan. 1 (Saturday), skiing and snowshoeing followed by apres-ski potluck snacks; meet at Clarkson University Outdoor Lodge in the early afternoon for skiing; the potluck usually happens around 4 p.m. Tom Ortmeyer, 265-8219, [email protected].

The New York State Consumer Protection Board wants consumers to know about new protections and laws that address telemarketing practices, such as “robo-calls,” which “game the system.”

A new Do Not Call Law, which the board says is one of the state’s most important consumer protections, went into effect Dec. 11.

DEKALB JUNCTION – Parents of Hermon-DeKalb Central School seniors who are interested in planning the After-Grad Party are welcome to discuss fundraising ideas and ideas for the party at the next meeting of the group, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18.

If you would like to be involved, call Lori O’Donnell at 347-1661.

Parents who can help sell food and 50-50 raffle tickets at home basketball games are also asked to call O’Donnell and sign up.

MASSENA -- Massena Memorial Hospital has a blood drive set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29 in the Community Education Room, on the lower level of the hospital. Refreshments will be available.

MMH Laboratory Director Kevin Ward reminds potential donors that one donation could provide several lifesaving such as packed red cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets.

“Last year at MMH we used nearly 800 units of blood for 309 patients. On average, when a patient needs a blood transfusion, they will receive two to three units,” Ward said.

LAKE PLACID – The New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) is sponsoring ski-jumping clinics at the Olympic ski jumps outside of Lake Placid. Clinics will be held all four Wednesdays in January at the base lodge from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

Athletes ages 6 and up are welcome to join. Sessions are $5 for athletes new to the sport.

Participants should bring their own helmets, proper fitting alpine or cross country skis and boots. More info: NYSEF Nordic office at (518)523-1900, or www.nysef.org.

UPDATED 3:45 PM DEC. 27

MASSENA – More details have been released in connection with the Christmas Eve arrests for recent purse snatchings at St. Lawrence Centre.

Four Massena residents were arrested on felony charges and jailed with bail as high as $100,000, state police said.

The New York State Police say they are implementing use of Tasers, a tool that they say is less lethal than firearms which troopers will have available when confronting violent individuals.

Troopers recently completed training in the use of Taser ECDs (Electronic Control Devices), and are beginning a pilot program with some troopers carrying ECDs during each shift.