- [Michael] Tonight on "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories," we take you inside Bridges Out of Poverty program in Lewis County where people in need discover resources, connections, and education to create stability.

And how does river glass in St. Lawrence County make its way into these unique jewelry pieces?

We'll tell you how and who's creating them.

Plus Canadian indie pop musician Hayley shares her original song and music video, "Bury Me."

Your stories, your region coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories."

(inspiring music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories" is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, the J.M.

McDonald Foundation, the Estate of Grant Mitchell, and the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Additional funding from the New York State Education Department.

- Good Tuesday evening, everyone, and welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories."

I'm Michael Riecke.

Finding a way out of poverty is not an easy path, but with a little help, it can happen.

Through Lewis County's Bridges Out of Poverty program, community members discover that a path to a better life is possible via a series of workshops.

(bright music) (group applauding) - There is a difference between just getting by versus getting ahead.

- [Luke] Karen Carr is the co-facilitator of the Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting-By World workshops offered through Lewis County's Bridges Out of Poverty.

With the help of Lamanda Cook, she works to educate members of the community on the steps needed to reduce financial hardship and change their lives for the better.

- Getting Ahead helps people that are experiencing instability and poverty, and it helps them because they gain knowledge and resources that they may not have, and they have a support group and positive role models to help them with that transition.

- We consider our people that participate investigators where they're taking time to evaluate their own circumstances and some community assessments.

- [Luke] And for these investigators, circumstances can vary greatly.

- I became like, became an addict because I lost my children and everything.

So my whole sole purpose in life disappeared.

And now I'm trying to find a different purpose in life so I have a reason to get out of bed.

- I think for each person that it is different of what their breaking point is to wanting something different.

Some of the people, it is generational.

They want their life to be different than their parents' life.

They want to better their future for their children.

They are looking to improve but don't know how.

- [Luke] In their workshops, investigators learn that poverty is more than just lack of money.

They learn what it means to be in poverty to what it takes to become economically and emotionally self-sufficient.

And for these investigators, the lessons are already paying off.

- Getting Ahead has been positive in my life because it's helped me build bonds with other people that I didn't really have healthy bonds, because you know, in addiction, you don't really have healthy bonds with people.

So coming out of that, I've learned to meet people, and I've learned to open up and trust other people in a genuine way and not always just thinking they're gonna use me for something, but we're building each other up.

- I've seen myself making changes already in life.

I was facing an eviction with a very-low-paying job and really little support system.

And it helped me to find people who really care about me, kind of honestly cut out some of those that sometimes it's hard to cut outta your life, but you have to and start making plans for the future.

- [Luke] But sometimes planning for the future is not easy, and in these workshops, there's one thing in particular they want investigators to understand.

- Getting Ahead has coined this term they like to use as tyranny of the moment.

It's really when everything has overwhelmed you to the point where you no longer have any ability to make a move at all.

I really don't do fight or flight, I freeze, and whenever that happens, they taught us to really take a step back and completely detach yourself from how you feel about it, the emotions that you may have attached to the situation, and to try to pretend you're somebody else and look at it logically from that perspective.

- I think one of the things that the participants become aware of is that they are problem-solvers and that they are able to problem-solve.

Many times they think that they don't know how to solve problems.

And one of the main things of people in poverty are great problem solvers.

And I think they recognize a lot of people are going through the same thing and that there is hope, and they understand how to make changes in their life to gain stability.

- It's different to hear from different people's aspects like what their life is like.

Then you realize that your life isn't either so terrible or that you're blessed in a lot of ways.

In some ways some people need to be a little more educated on that not everybody's life is as good as theirs.

- Success in Getting Ahead can look differently and depending on the participants, because it could be their success was they committed to something for 18 weeks and stuck through and completed it.

Many of our graduates, it is the first graduation that they have earned in their life.

There's other participants that have obtained their GED, obtained their first jobs, just gained confidence and the ability to be able to advocate for themselves.

- [Luke] In Lowville for "WPBS Weekly," I'm Luke Smith.

(screen whooshes) - To learn more and discover how you can get ahead in a just-getting-by world, contact bridgeslewiscounty@gmail.com.

As part of a special series funded by the Dr. Dorothea Susan Badenhausen Legacy, we take you to St. Lawrence County tonight where artisan jeweler Ruth Varley is pulling out all the stops and glass from the St. Lawrence River.

Our Joleene DesRosiers tells us her artistic creations start on the beach and finish in her studio.

(bright music) (screen whooshes) - And you can find it pretty much anywhere.

There's a piece right here.

- [Joleene] Early mornings are perfect for the search.

- [Ruth] Get another piece of over here.

- [Joleene] Jewelry artisan Ruth Varley seeks out colors and textures that will make her next piece of jewelry pop.

- A sense of home, a connection to a place that they've enjoyed visiting.

The river glass jewelry that I make, the beach glass jewelry, it is something that really appeals to people that are from this area.

They have a sense of home from having something that the river has created over time, and it just seems to be something that attracts them, and they get all excited about having a piece of glass from the river.

- [Joleene] Her love for creating began as a child, and it evolves to this day.

- Jewelry making is an easy creative outlet.

I've always been a maker since a small child, always had something that I was crafting.

So jewelry is just, it's portable, it's affordable, and it's a process that you can develop.

You can stay at one level and continue like that, or you can just keep learning and enhancing your skills, and I really enjoy that part of it.

(inspiring music) They're pretty basic tools.

To create copper jewelry like I make, I like to make a dome shape and I use a dapping block which is wood.

And this is a punch, also wood.

And this is a chasing hammer, which you would use with the wooden punch.

And so for that process, I form the shape, and then I heat it with a torch.

So that process involves a butane torch and a torch head, or a butane canister actually, which you can buy from like a restaurant supply store, and a long pair of needle nose pliers, a fire block so you don't burn anything, and a vessel that's heat resistant for water to quench the metal when you heat it.

And the process is basically heating and cooling and heating and cooling and heating and cooling till you get the colors that you like.

And then once you cool it, it stops changing colors.

What I do with the flame painting is pretty basic, so you can do it quite easily.

- [Joleene] To keep it interesting, she takes risks and colors outside the lines, if you will, to create pieces that are truly one of a kind.

- Risks that I have taken creating jewelry have been investing in materials and tools, not knowing if what I'm gonna create with them is going to be sellable.

At one point I decided that I was going to redesign everything that I made and invested in a lot of equipment, a lot of pieces, and just kind of went for it.

And that's where the copper flame-painted jewelry came from, actually.

One of the pieces that I'm most proud of is a set of earrings and a necklace that I made for a girlfriend for Christmas.

She admired it, and I gifted it to her.

And when I see her wearing it now, I take a second look, and I am surprised that I made that, and it makes me really proud that I created that and that she's proud to wear it.

- [Joleene] For aspiring jewelry makers, Ruth says go for it, and find the time and the tools to begin creating.

- I would advise an aspiring artist to invest in tools that do the job that they wanna do.

Don't try to do something with a tool that's not made for that.

And I would invest in good-quality materials and just keep practicing and honing your skill and just keep trying new things, learn new techniques, watch a lot of YouTube videos, and just have fun with it.

- [Joleene] In St. Lawrence County for "WPBS Weekly," I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

(screen whooshes) - If you'd like to take a look at all Ruth has to offer, visit her website at ruthvarley.com.

Moving into Franklin County tonight, the Ladies Auxiliary at American Legion Post 1479 at Akwesasne is said to be the glue that holds the Legion family together.

Elaine Cook and Shawna Cook talk about the early days and the common ground they share.

(bright music) (people chattering) - [Reporter] The Andrew W. Cook American Legion Post 1479 is a very familiar structure and sits right in the heart of Akwesasne.

It's sometimes a local watering hole, sometimes a gathering place for a home-cooked meal after a wedding or a funeral service, but it's always a place of honor throughout the years for those Akwesasnro:non who've served in the military.

A significant component to the post and its very foundation is the Ladies Auxiliary.

Akwesasne TV spoke with Elaine Cook and her daughter Shawna about the early days.

- Well, we're all wives of the Legionnaires, so we kind of joined together, and we met together, and that was, wait, 1958.

And then it took two years for us to organize an auxiliary.

So one of the ladies from the Franklin County committee came and helped us get all the paperwork done, but it took us over a year to get it done because we kept making mistakes, and you know, we had to redo it.

And I was the secretary, so I had to do all the work, huh?

So we had May Cole, she was president.

Pearl Conners was our first vice.

Fran Cook was treasurer.

- [Reporter] In tandem with getting the Auxiliary charter established, the ladies, along with the Legionnaires, also worked at getting a dedicated structure in place.

- One of the Legionnaires found out that this property here, which is behind Julius Cook.

There was 15 acres of it, and they said it was on sale.

And they said, "If we could get enough money, can we try to buy that land?"

We agreed with the men and said, "All right, we'll help you.

We'll put in half, and you put in the other half.

Let's buy that property," and that's how we got it.

So from there, from there we start, we started fundraising.

We bought the land, and then they started doing the foundation, which was like the cellar part for a long time 'cause, and we had to raise more money to get the other building up.

- We were affectionately known as Legion Babies because we were always here with our parents because they were building the place.

I remember when it was just a big sand pile and the foundation was starting to form.

- [Reporter] After Post 1479 had an official home, the Auxiliary became a visible presence in the community and around the North Country.

- And then it was good because the Legion got active, and they started going to parades at different towns, you know, at different locations, huh.

So then we all got our uniforms as Auxiliary members, so we joined them.

Skirts, we had to wear skirts.

- Skirts.

- That was the dress when we first started, and then things changed after a while, huh?

So we went to all the parades and all activities in the surrounding Legion posts.

And then we went to conventions.

We went to county meetings.

- [Reporter] The Auxiliary is known for their home-cooked meals prepared in the heart of the Legion.

- The laughter has always come outta that kitchen.

And as an Auxiliary member, that kitchen is the heart of this home.

- [Reporter] But they contribute in many ways whenever the community needs a hand.

- The Legion family, the American Legion, Sons of the American Legion and the Auxiliary, support a lot of different community events, the Boys & Girls Club, lacrosse teams, hockey teams, all the sports, pool teams, let's see, any kind of hardship that comes up in the community.

We've had benefit dances for, you know, different things, tragic, fires, that type of thing where we've had benefit dances to help support the families.

So we do quite a bit of things, you know?

We're always out there in the community.

- [Reporter] But the biggest takeaway is that there is a sense of family with the Ladies Auxiliary with all they contribute in all their common ground and in their love for each other and for Akwesasne.

- So when I come in, it's just like walking in Cheers, you know?

Everybody knows your name, and they're glad to see you.

And my daughter was in the service, and she did a tour in Afghanistan.

And when I was out at work or out in the community, people didn't know that.

But when I walked in that door, they asked me, they said, "How's your daughter?

How's she doing?"

- The Legion had always told us, us Auxiliary women, that "If we go before you girls go, make sure that you attend every service that American Legion holds."

So I make sure that, you know, I'm here all the time when there's something going on, for their sake.

That's what I value right now.

- I just wanna just say how much I love all those girls, all the ladies that are here with us today, the ones that we've lost.

They're really remarkable women, and you know, and I'm very happy that you're doing something and recognize them.

(screen whooshes) - In 1972, a boatload of self-proclaimed free-thinking, peace-loving hippies showed up at the west end of Amherst Island in Ontario to raise happy sheep and make better wool.

They called themselves Topsy Farms, and their mission was simple, to create 100% Canadian wool blankets and natural products to the eco-ethical, kindred spirits out there.

Their motto is, "Get dirty, leave happy, stay cozy."

Take a look.

(bright music) (birds chirping) - [Gail] In 1971, five people bought a farm on the northwest corner of Amherst Island.

Their intention was not to have a working farm.

They were seeking a different lifestyle and formed a commune called Headlands Community.

- It was like a full-blown hippie commune.

For a couple of years, it was the hippies, and that legacy stays.

That sense of community, commune, community, it's all in there in the name and in the spirit of the place.

- The common goal was to live in a community and build a community, and everyone who joined, it was pretty much in response to the belief that the community and the way of life that was being handed to us was not one that we wanted.

We wanted to emulate small town or neighborhoods or places where you knew who was around you and no one was anonymous.

That's what we recognized was already here on Amherst Island and what we found ourselves fitting into very well.

- [Gail] After a visit from the reeve of the island and a discussion of the value of the land as a farm, they turned their attentions to farming.

They bought cattle, sheep, chickens, and pigs.

They invested in machinery and fences.

They put in huge gardens.

- They worked so hard.

The whole group of them, all of the people who have been here since the early '70s and even like the people who owned the farm before them, like there is so much effort and energy that goes into creating this space that we now get to be caretakers of.

We don't think of ourselves as owners of this land.

We are merely caretakers for the next people.

- [Gail] In 1975, the commune disbanded, and three of the members bought the farm.

At the time, it was a mixed farm with a combination of cows and sheep until their bank manager advised them to concentrate on one.

The sheep seemed more promising, and since then, they have been known for sheep, specifically raising them outdoor year round.

- As the wool for us has become more important, we realized that we had set the preconditions for outstanding quality of wool, because as the sheep are spending their winter outside, they have to raise their own jacket.

The fleece and the lanolin content and the fiber is really thick, and it's lush because it has to be.

They don't have the luxury of being inside.

A sheep that's being kept inside, it's fine and it's healthy, but the wool doesn't have to be nearly as thick, whereas our sheep are like, "We don't have a choice.

We need to take in calories and turn that into wool production."

And then in the spring, they don't want that wool anymore, 'cause I don't wanna wear my winter coat either when it's August and it's 30 degrees out.

So we exchange our caretaking of the sheep for their fiber, and it's a really good relationship.

- [Gail] The health of the flock is extremely important, and that falls to the responsibility of the shepherds.

Beyond a code of conduct carefully adhered to for the care of the sheep, there is a sheep happiness index because happy sheep make better wool.

Along with outdoor conditions, close attention must be paid to predators.

- The program that I'm running long term that I am absolutely married to is this non-lethal coyote management.

Even when we are implementing legal and regulated tactics to control our coyote predation, it didn't look effective, and it was like, we're still getting anywhere between 40 to 100 kills every year.

So we have the electric stand-off wire.

We've got page wire, and I use a series of flashers that we just move around with the flock.

In terms of coyote communication, it's applying human hair, again, as a scent marker.

It's also applying urine.

With the flock is large guardian dogs.

So it's hard to isolate which of these tactics are the most effective.

Like, the large guardian dogs are wonderful.

They're absolutely fantastic.

So the combination of it has been extremely effective.

This year has been our highest kill rate year in the last three years, and that's at six.

- [Gail] As well as producing one of the most natural and sustainable fibers on earth, Topsy Farms' vision is that in 50 years when you drive by, it will look exactly the way it does right now.

- To keep this place wild and green, it takes a lot of work, and it takes a lot of money, and it takes a lot of intention.

And so every day we are out there telling stories, sharing pictures, doing campaigns to raise awareness of the place that farms play in the ecological world.

It goes back to that, like the idea of the the founding hippies.

We work every day to preserve what they built, and in return, we're trying to build something that is worth preserving.

- [Gail] The farm is continually enhancing its legacy of a welcoming atmosphere, nurturing contented sheep for superior wool production, all while placing a strong emphasis on land stewardship and harmony with nature.

- To see the success of a secured supply chain, seeing that succeed means that we can be financially secure enough to continue to run the farm but also to run, connect to the land programs and to have a further outreach to the community of creating love for the environment around them.

And when we create the love for that, it gives people a reason to want to save it, not just the land that we are tending right now, but all wild spaces.

- For "WPBS Weekly," I'm Gail Paquette.

(screen whooshes) - For more information on this ever-budding initiative, visit topsyfarms.com.

Finally, tonight we share a Canadian indie pop musician whose powerful lyrics remind listeners of the value they bring to the world, even in their darkest hour.

Here with her original song, "Bury Me," is Hayley.

(screen whooshes) (upbeat music) (solemn music) ♪ I've climbed those stairs a million times ♪ ♪ Up to the second story of your imperfect life ♪ ♪ And I, I'm dying inside ♪ ♪ Yeah, I, I've lost my light ♪ ♪ You said some harsh words, almost cost me my life ♪ ♪ I took a chance by going back ♪ ♪ Now I've lost my mind ♪ ♪ And I, I'm dying inside ♪ ♪ Bury me under ♪ ♪ I drove off a cliff ♪ ♪ For you to bury me under ♪ ♪ I sold my soul, lost all control ♪ ♪ Took my life and gave it all ♪ ♪ Only for you to bury me under ♪ ♪ Bury me under ♪ ♪ I've lost my sight, I can't see straight ♪ ♪ I'll tell you right now ♪ ♪ I know that this wasn't fate ♪ ♪ And I, I'm dying inside ♪ ♪ But I, I know I'll be fine ♪ ♪ Bury me under ♪ ♪ I drove off a cliff ♪ ♪ For you to bury me under ♪ ♪ I sold my soul, lost all control ♪ ♪ Took my life and gave it all ♪ ♪ Only for you ♪ ♪ Bury me, bury me, bury me ♪ ♪ Don't you bury me under, oh, no, no ♪ ♪ I sold my soul, I sold my soul ♪ ♪ Lost all control ♪ ♪ Took my life and gave it all ♪ ♪ But I'll fix my soul ♪ ♪ Lost my soul ♪ ♪ Find my control ♪ ♪ Take my life and give it all ♪ ♪ So you can never ♪ ♪ Bury me under ♪ ♪ Bury me under, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Bury me under ♪ (screen whooshes) - That does it for this Tuesday night.

Join us next time for a fresh look inside the stories.

Maple Leaf Tours out of Kingston shares travel tips for both sides of the border so you can make the best informed decisions.

And if you live in Canada or the North Country, you know maple is a staple.

Discover how it's done at Massey's Maple Ranch.

Plus your dream job is just a resume away.

Career coach M. Michelle Nadon shares tips on creating a wish list to get you one step closer to the dream.

Meantime, if you have a story idea you'd like us to explore, we'd love to learn more.

Drop us an email at wpbsweekly@wpbstv.org, and let's share it with the region.

That's it for now, everyone.

We'll see you next time.

Have a great night.

(calm music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories" is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business.

Serving Jefferson, Lewis, and Oswego Counties since 1986.

Online at watertown.nysbdc.org.

Additional funding provided by the J.M.

McDonald Foundation, the Estate of Grant Mitchell, the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation, and the New York State Education Department.

♪ And I, I've lost my life ♪ ♪ You said some harsh words, almost cost me my life ♪ ♪ I took a chance by going back ♪ ♪ Now I've lost my mind ♪ ♪ And I, I'm dying inside ♪ (calm music)