POTSDAM -- Four conversations with candidates for county government are featured on North Country Matters, the local public affairs video magazine produced by WCKN.

Under discussion are county finances and budget matters, taxes, energy, and balancing the priorities between the needs of people and maintaining the infrastructure of the county.

With four new shows to air this week, there is a staggered viewing schedule. The first conversation at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 13 is with Joe Timmerman, who is running for District 10 on the St. Lawrence County Board. That district covers much of the Village of Potsdam.

The second show at 8 p.m. that evening is a conversation with Donald J. Hooper, who is running for the District 1 seat which covers the city of Ogdensburg.

Following Peak Moment TV On Tuesday, Oct. 14, the first conversation at 7:30 p.m. features Chad Colbert, running for one of the open seats on St. Lawrence County Board from District 11. That district covers a small portion of the Village of Potsdam and the Town of Stockholm.

The second show on Tuesday at 8 p.m. is with Steve Putman, the incumbent running for District 9, which covers the Village of Canton and large portion of the Town of Canton.

These shows will be repeated on the next two nights, as a service to voters. Watch the Timmerman and Hooper shows on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 and 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, Oct. 16, you can watch the Colbert and Putman shows at 7 and 7:30 p.m.

Conversations with Candidates is designed to provide voter education that thoughtfully and civilly discusses issues of public policy and governance vital to our community. These non-partisan Conversations invite the candidate to explain his or her positions, records, and ideas outside of the spin cycle of the 30-second campaign ad and the discussion constrains of the traditional political debate format.

The NCM civic partners working to educate North Country residents about critical public policy issues facing our region include AAUW-St. Lawrence County, the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County, and Clarkson Media and Mass Communication students, who provide the technical expertise for the productions. The shows are filmed at the WCKN studio on the Clarkson campus.

This fall’s shows will feature more Conversations with Candidates, a look at the proposed Potsdam and Canton school merger, interviews with college presidents, and current education issues, among many other topics. The half-hours shows are broadcast on local public access TV as well as on YouTube for later viewing.

In addition to local broadcasts, the shows are also available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/danieledullea. Check the websites for AAUW-St. Lawrence County (http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/index.html) and the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County (http://slc-leaguewv.org/) for specific program links as they become available.