News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
The draft November minutes from the Huletts Sewer District # 1 & #2 committees have been posted on the Town’s website. These districts serve those with property in Huletts Landing District #1 and #2.
Additionally there will be no meeting of the Sewer Committee in December 2024.
Looking up the third fairway.
It’s a little over a week away from Christmas and there is almost no snow on the ground in Huletts, hence the snowman pun.
The rain from last week has washed most of the snow away. The lake has risen and there is some work going on but everything is relatively quiet.
People always email and share how they like seeing pictures, so here are two of the golf course from today. (Click on both images to see larger versions.)
Looking out across the eighth and ninth fairways.
“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say ‘here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well.’” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Unfinalized Preliminary Engineer’s Report on Sewer District # 1 has been posted on the Town’s website. This report, undertaken during the summer of 2023, has been submitted to the state of New York.
The process was for the engineering firm to create the PER, then they sent it to the Town to review, then it was sent to the State for comments/questions, then the engineering firm responds to the comments/questions, then the State indicates they are satisfied (or not) and then it is finalized. Evidently, the state can take a substantial amount of time to complete their first review. The link above is for the unfinalized draft that was submitted to the state.
Photo by Carl Heilman, II/Wild Visions, Inc.: The LGLC has purchased 93 acres of land in Glenburnie (north of Huletts Landing) that protects water quality and connects Anthony’s Nose (center) to the Sucker Brook Preserve (foreground). Click image to see larger version.
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) purchased 86 acres of forested land in Glenburnie, Town of Putnam, on November 22, 2024. This conservation project permanently protects an additional 1,400 feet of Sucker Brook, one of the lake’s largest tributaries, providing critical water quality protection for Lake George while also extending a network of adjacent protected lands that support a diverse wildlife population.
This acquisition completes the LGLC’s Anthony’s Nose-to-Sucker Brook Connection project that includes three transactions in Glenburnie this year resulting in a total of 93 acres of newly protected land.
The 86-acre purchase was completed in partnership with the Glenburnie community that came together to act as a conservation buyer, securing the property and providing time for permanent protection by the LGLC.
President of the Glenburnie Cottagers Association Tom Badenoch said, “After years of combined efforts, the Glenburnie community was thrilled to be able to partner with the Lake George Land Conservancy to preserve this critical link in the Sucker Brook Preserve. The protection of this land will help enhance the water quality of Lake George, preserve the scenic and open space values of the region and provide a critical wildlife corridor connecting protected lands from Gull Bay to Anthony’s Nose.”
LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn said, “This is an incredible project that will forever benefit Lake George. We could not have accomplished this without the vision and generosity of the Glenburnie community. We are also grateful to others who provided financial support to make this project possible.”
For more than 25 years the LGLC has prioritized protecting land in this northeast region of Lake George that includes the iconic Anthony’s Nose and the lands surrounding Sucker Brook. Upon the completion of this 93-acre project, the LGLC will have permanently protected a total of 1,700 contiguous acres through 16 transactions, starting with Flat Rock in 1998.
The New York State (NYS) Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Resource Mapper identifies this area of the watershed as having significant natural communities and rare plant and animal species, including peregrine falcons. Its landscapes include grasslands that offer bird habitat, and sphagnum bogs that offer unique habitat for wetland species.
The NYS Wildlife Action Plan and the Staying Connected Initiative have also documented this area as an important wildlife corridor between the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains in Vermont. These corridors are especially important for wide-ranging species like bear, bobcat, fisher, and moose.
The 242-acre Flat Rock property mirrors Anthony’s Nose to the north, and was sold to New York State in 1999 to become part of the Lake George Wild Forest. The LGLC continues to own and manage the Anthony’s Nose Preserve, which has a 1-mile hiking trail to Record Hill and fantastic views of Lake George.
The Gull Bay and Last Great Shoreline Preserves were merged in 2021 to create the 1,078-acre Sucker Brook Preserve. This area incorporates 260 acres of wetlands, including beaver ponds and an active great blue heron rookery, more than 1.3 miles of streams, and 4,225 feet of lake shoreline.
The Sucker Brook Preserve also provides more than 6.5 miles of recreational trails with interpretive signage along the way to educate visitors about the wildlife and ecology of the lands they’re exploring.
I’m happy to report that the October minutes with attachments a & b from the Huletts Sewer District # 1 & #2 committees have been posted on the Town’s website. These districts serve those with property in Huletts Landing District #1 and #2.
The first intercollegiate championship football game held in America. Thanksgiving Day, November 1876. (Click image to see full-scale.)
The St. George Cricket Field in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Between Yale and Princeton, Yale winning by a score of 2 to 0: having kicked two goals.
From an original drawing by Everett Henry – Dedicated to the memory of Walter Camp, Esq., a member of the Yale team of 1876.
Publication date based on copyright statement on item. Popular graphic art print filing series (Library of Congress).
I wanted to offer you and yours my best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving, and a deeply felt thank you for all you do for Huletts Landing.
Hopefully, your day will be filled with love, fun, and lots of good food. May you all enjoy a happy and blessed day of rest and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some of the ideas behind the answers people have shared with me over the years when I’ve asked this question. If you have something you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you.
The question has many different answers but I believe it comes down to making connections.
Connectedness is defined in two ways: a.) the state of being joined or linked, and b.) a feeling of belonging to or having affinity with a particular person or group.
So the answers I have heard when I’ve asked this question can be summed up in these ideas:
Connectedness to the land.
Connectedness to Lake George.
Connectedness to past and future generations.
Connectedness to the people, friends, places, activities and good times that Huletts offers.
Connectedness to our neighbors.
Connectedness to the beautiful environment and the abundant wildlife.
Connectedness to happiness.
Connectedness ultimately to God – the creator of it all.
Since all happy people share similar marks of human flourishing and thriving, discovering our own way of living out and fulfilling our human nature is something we all share in common. All the great Greek philosophers wrestled with the question of happiness.
So ponder and appreciate the question, “What does Huletts Landing mean to me?”
By contemplating the bigger questions of life, we can be led to deeper understanding and gratitude.
“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.”
Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark
Rep. Elise Stefanik with President-elect Donald Trump (Photo Credit: Rep. Elise Stefanik Facebook page.)
President Trump in a statement to the NY Post said: “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”
House Republican Conference Chair, Elise Stefanik, released the following statement:
“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.
President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad. America continues to be the beacon of the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek.
The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries.
I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations.
I will forever be grateful to my beloved constituents in New York’s 21st Congressional District for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to work my very hardest to serve and give them a voice at the highest levels of Congress.
Ten years ago, Upstate and North Country voters took a chance on a young, first-time, unknown candidate who very few believed could win. I was proud to be the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time and to earn their overwhelming vote of confidence in six general elections.
Thank you to my colleagues in the House for entrusting me to serve as House Republican Conference Chair as a part of your leadership team.
I am proud of my strong record as a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and the Education and Workforce Committee, as well as the legislative and constituent services results my office successfully delivered to our district.
Thank you to the hardworking families, small businesses, farms, law enforcement officers, military families, veterans, seniors, and local elected officials whom I have worked so closely with on behalf of our communities. And most especially, thank you to my extraordinarily dedicated staff in the District and Washington offices for serving our constituents tirelessly for the past decade.
My family and I are excited for this next chapter in New York and Washington to work hard to serve our country on President Donald Trump’s team. No matter where this journey takes us, Upstate New York — the cradle of the American Revolution — will always be my heart and home.”
A public hearing on the Town of Dresden’s 2025 Budget will be held at the beginning of the November regular town meeting on November 11, 2024 at the town hall. The agenda for the full meeting is posted on the town’s website here.
The preliminary budget package to be considered is posted on the town’s website here.
“The Town of Dresden maintains a clear division in its finances, categorizing expenses and revenue under general and highway operations, as well as other lesser categories, as required by New York State law. Each category must maintain its own books and records, ensuring that funds are allocated exclusively for their designated purposes. The difference between revenue and expenses has traditionally been addressed through moderate tax increases or, when necessary, by depleting capital reserves. However, budget forecasting in past years has not only been inaccurate but has also overlooked known future expenses, especially those related to planned borrowings. This has led to unanticipated impacts on cash flow and spending capacity, which could have been mitigated with more careful planning.”
“The Town of Dresden faces significant financial challenges due to rising costs and historical budgeting inaccuracies. While adjustments in the 2025 budget aim to realign projected expenses with actual needs, strategic tax increases and careful reserve management are essential for maintaining financial stability and ensuring the town’s ability to meet its operational needs in the coming years.”
The proposed salaries of the elected officials are as follows:
Town Supervisor $15,000
Town Clerk $20,500
Highway Superintendent $59,500
Town Council (4) $ 3,300
Justices (2) $ 6,500
There were many interesting items discussed in October.
1.) An update was given on the ProcellaCOR lawsuit and Chubb’s dock.
2.) The 2023 Engineer’s report on Sewer District # 1 still has not been released to the public after more than a year.
3.) The costs associated with the Sewer District # 1 pipe burial project continue to grow. An ad-hoc committee is being created “to collect information with forecastable expenses and risk associated with objectives to enhance the planning process and provide a greater transparency to the community.”
4.) Multiple handouts were provided for budget forecasting purposes, projecting Dresden budgets vs Putnam’s and Whitehall’s. A history of how fund surpluses have changed was also provided.
5.) A comment was received from a member of the public about how Putnam is able to pick-up their residents’ garbage.
Many other important topics were discussed. Please read the October minutes to learn more.