The north

10 years ago

Dec. 8, 2002: Santas were scratched, pawed and almost urinated on during a photo session Saturday, when pets took the place of children on St. Nick’s lap. More than 100 pets and their owners showed up at the Agway store in Potsdam to take part in Santa Paws, a holiday photo session with Santa Claus that raises money for a local nonprofit agency. Money raised from the $5-apiece photos went to Spay Neuter Now, a group that works to control the pet population.

25 years ago

Dec. 8, 1987: If the Watertown City Council does not agree that there is a problem with homelessness, Watertown’s social agencies could be left with no money to solve the problem, directors of several agencies said. This morning, the agency chiefs said they were “encouraged” to see that the City Council is “finally listening” to them and hoped it would continue to do so.

50 years ago

Dec. 8, 1962: Producers of the World War II movie to be filmed mostly at Camp Drum beginning in mid-January hope to have either Henry Fonda or Anthony Quinn in the lead role.

75 years ago

Dec. 8, 1937: Three and a half miles southwest of Theresa is a wooded area of more than 1,000 acres where a herd of deer is seen from time to time coming and going. Fifty years ago this same section was a center of an industry in which a community of 200 to 300 people found employment at times. It was known as Reeds Mill and lumbering was the chief occupation.

100 years ago

Dec. 8, 1912: Gouverneur met with a severe fire loss early yesterday morning when the mill of the Northern New York Marble Co. located a mile and a half west of the village was destroyed by fire of an unknown origin. The loss is estimated at $30,000, covered with insurance.

125 years ago

Dec. 8, 1887: The cases of Mrs. Michael Rock, of Factory Street, against several saloon keepers of this city, will be tried before the board of excise commissioners this evening.

150 years ago

Dec. 8, 1862: It is seldom we have colder weather at this season of the year than yesterday and today have been. Mercury stood at 4 degrees below zero in this village yesterday morning, and it must have been quite as low this morning. A little more snow would give us excellent sleighing — as it is, where the roads are not too rough, it is fair “slipping.”

The world

Today is Saturday, Dec. 8, the 343rd day of 2012. There are 23 days left in the year. The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, begins at sunset.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Ten years ago: Iraq’s massive dossier detailing its chemical, biological and nuclear programs arrived in New York; the U.N. Security Council agreed to give full copies to the United States and the four other permanent council members: Britain, France, Russia and China.

Five years ago: The Justice Department and CIA announced a joint inquiry into the spy agency’s destruction of videotapes of interrogations of two suspected terrorists. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey publicly endorsed Barack Obama for president during appearances in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Skiers, fire-eaters and an ice sculptor joined in worldwide demonstrations to draw attention to global warming. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.

Thought for Today: “So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.” — Elbert Hubbard, American author (1856-1915).

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