The Huletts Casino on Sunday, February 27th. (Click picture to see larger version.)
The month of February ended in Huletts with both cold temperatures and snow on the ground.
Senator Stec: End of School Mask Mandate Long Overdue
State Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today issued the following statement concerning Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement that she’s finally lifting the mask mandate on schools, effective Wednesday, March 2:
“For too long, our officials have been making COVID-related decisions based on political science, instead of the actual science. Repeated studies have shown that long-term mask wearing has had a detrimental impact on our students, stunting their educational, emotional and social development and making it that much harder for them to overcome the pandemic.
“It’s for those reasons that I’ve repeatedly joined our local school districts in urging the governor and state Department of Health to provide clear guidance and an off-ramp to the end of the mask mandate. I’m glad that Governor Hochul finally listened to our voices and ended it. This is a big win for our educators and our children, who can finally get back to normal after the chaos and disruption of the past two years.
“This mandate was yet another example of the Executive overreach that has marred our state’s ability to address the pandemic and chart the best path forward. Instead of unilateral decisions that need to be rescinded after widespread public outcry, the Legislature must assert itself as an equal partner in government.”
Governor to Lift Mask Mandate for Schools This Week
Mask mandates in public schools across New York will be lifted this Wednesday, March 2nd, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday.
Governor Hochul said local governments would be empowered to set their own school mask requirements in accordance with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Friday that reclassified much of the state as “low risk” for COVID infection.
January Dresden Town Board Meeting Minutes
The minutes for the regular January meeting of the Dresden Town Board were approved at the February meeting and have been posted on the town’s website.
New York State Comptroller Releases Report on Local Roads
Local governments across New York State spent $2 billion on road maintenance, repairs and upgrades in local fiscal year 2020, a decline of 7% since 2010 when adjusted for inflation, according to a report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
Some local communities put road projects on hold during the pandemic, but an influx of federal money is expected to jump-start projects at the same time the Executive is proposing more funding for road repair and improvements.
According to the report, capital spending on local roads projects in the Capital District (which Washington County is included in) was $175 (See Figure 9), which was higher than some parts of New York but lower than others.
Saturday Quote
“To find yourself, think for yourself.”
Socrates
December Dresden Town Board Meeting Minutes
The minutes for the regular December meeting of the Dresden Town Board were approved at the January meeting and have been posted on the town’s website.
DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights
Village of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Recovery: On Jan. 20 at 5:36 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for Ranger assistance from Washington County 911 after a hiker reported finding a body at the base of Shelving Rock Falls in the Lake George Wild Forest. Forest Rangers Laczko, St. Claire, Savarie, Donegan, and Kabrehl responded. At 6:44 p.m., Rangers located the subject approximately one-third of the way up the falls. Using technical rope rescue techniques, Rangers lowered the deceased subject from the ledge in a sled. From the ground, Rangers conducted a low-angle carry up the hill. Once out the woods, the subject was turned over to the county coroner. Resources were clear at 9:12 p.m. New York State Police (NYSP) identified the hiker as 55-year-old Timothy Gillen of Peekskill.
Dresden’s 2022 Town Budget Posted
The 2022 town budget for Dresden has been finalized and posted on the town’s website. Here is a basic summary.
The amount to be raised from taxes in 2022 decreases to $824,926 from $825,476 in 2021 – a decrease of $550.
The Dresden and Huletts fire companies both receive the same amounts as 2021. Page two lists the salaries of all town officials.
Many thanks to Dresden Supervisor Paul Ferguson (who is also the budget officer for the Town) and the entire Dresden Town Board for working so hard to keep our town property taxes low. Keeping spending in check, while growing the tax base keeps property taxes stable.
Dresden Supervisor Submits AUD’s for Numerous Years
I’m pleased to report that Dresden has submitted all AUD’s (Annual Update Documents) from 2012 to 2020 to the NY State Comptroller’s office. The 2021 AUD will not be due until March 2022.
Dresden Town Supervisor Paul Ferguson has worked diligently over a number of years to get Dresden’s books in order. The AUD’s are basically a way for the Comptroller’s office to provide oversight over municipal financial records.
The records compare actual spending against what was budgeted for and require backup information to verify that the record keeping is correct. Supervisor Ferguson deserves a lot of credit for getting eight years of AUD’s completed and submitted.
NY State DOH Updates Quarantine Guidance
This week, there was some confusion regarding how long an employee needs to quarantine if they had COVID, and do they need to test to get back to work? Until now, the confusion centered around the NYS Department of Health’s guidance not matching up with the State’s currently active Hero Act, which referenced CDC guidance.
On Tuesday, new guidance was released by the Department of Health finally aligning its guidance with CDC so it now applies to everyone.
Top News Story of Huletts: 2021
Many interesting things happened in Huletts in 2021. An independent film was even filmed in and around Huletts this past summer.
However for the “Top News Story of Huletts” for the year – the biggest one in my mind is clearly how the community again responded to the COVID-19 international pandemic. Life started getting back to semi-normal with vaccine shots, and small gatherings, the Huletts Casino reopened with a shortened and abbreviated schedule and school began again after Labor Day. Masks came off indoors for most of the year. Children and adults were tired of being cooped up for so long.
I received more thank-you letters and emails than I have ever received in one year – the gist of practically all of them – thanks for getting back to normal and having Huletts be a place where fear doesn’t rule. However, I can’t claim credit for that – the community gets the credit. People may have stood a little farther apart but I think Huletts Landing was ahead of the curve in realizing that we can’t shut down permanently – that we have to go ahead with living and being our “best selves.” By trying to follow “best practices” and learning as we go, we can move ahead and get through this.
The recent moves nationally to shorten the quarantine period and keep schools open in response to almost two years of the pandemic, I think reflects this changing thinking. Children have suffered greatly through the pandemic months and there is no better place for children than Huletts. While it appears we are not “out of the woods” yet, hopefully sometime in 2022, we will have the pandemic behind us.
When will things truly return to normal? We don’t know. However we look to the future with hope knowing that we made it through 2021 working together to keep Huletts safe.
May 2022 be a better year, full of glad tidings for everyone.
Happy New Year!
LGLC Awarded $3.76 Million Grant for Land Protection in Putnam
The Clark Hollow Bay property as seen from Lake George. (Click image to see larger version.)
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been awarded $3,762,800 through the New York State Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program. The grant will be used to purchase the 59.6-acre Clark Hollow Bay property in Putnam.
The property is across Lake George from Silver Bay, adjoining more than 1,000 acres on the northeastern shore that the LGLC helped to protect more than 30 years ago. The land includes 2,530 feet of shoreline and 1,300 feet of streams that feed Lake George, as well as steeply forested slopes that would be highly susceptible to erosion if disturbed. Its protection will result in the prevention of previously-approved development that could impact the public drinking supply.
LGLC Conservation Manager Monica Dore said, “In protecting this property we will be closing the gap in shoreline protection of the northeastern region, a total of more than 3 miles of critical land buffer between the lake and its uplands. In addition, creating a contiguous block of forested land supports a wide range of wildlife.”
The Clark Hollow Bay property is also a documented summer habitat of the timber rattlesnake, which is legally protected as a threatened species in New York State.
According to a survey conducted by William S. Brown, Ph.D., and Jed Merrow on the property in 2012, “Clark Hollow Bay provides habitats for thermoregulation and protection, making the preserve a significant refuge in ensuring survival of the species.”
LGLC Board President Mike O’Reilly said, “We could not be more excited by this grant award, as it’s a huge win for water quality protection, and a final step in completing a 30-plus year endeavor in this part of the north basin. Receiving this grant will allow us to continue our energetic efforts to protect the land that protects the lake. We thank the State of New York for considering the purchase of the Clark Hollow Bay land worthy of support under this grant.”
LGLC Interim Executive Director Jeff Brozyna said, “The Clark Hollow Bay Project is the largest undertaking in LGLC history, with a total cost of $5 million. We will use the momentum from this grant to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the purchase in 2022.”
More than $272 million is being awarded to 179 projects to protect and improve water through the WQIP program, according to an announcement made by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on December 21. Grants were awarded to projects such as land acquisition, municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, and marine habitat restoration.
Governor Hochul said, “Our state’s economic development goals cannot be achieved without clean water for drinking, recreation, and the overall quality of life New Yorkers expect and deserve. These sustained investments in water quality improve the health of our communities while creating economic opportunity through well paying, long lasting jobs.”
NY State Senator Stec Co-Sponsored Bill Supporting Injured Firefighters Signed Into Law
Chief James Brook Jr. Act honors fallen local hero, assists fellow heroes
Legislation co-sponsored by Senator Dan Stec (R,C,I-Queensbury) that adds vascular rupture to the list of injuries covered under the Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefit Law was officially signed by Gov. Hochul today.
Called the Chief James Brook Jr. Act (S4562), it honors a fallen local hero. Chief James Brooks Jr. was a second assistant fire chief for the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company, who served his community for over 27 years. On May 2, 2020, he suffered an aortic rupture while responding to a structural fire in the Town of Dresden, Washington County, and succumbed on September 17, 2020 due to complications from that injury.
After the New York State Workers Compensation Board determined that Brooks’ injury did not qualify for insurance coverage, Senator Stec swiftly took action and supported this bi-partisan legislation to ensure that injured heroes like the late Chief Brooks receive the medical coverage they need and deserve.
“Volunteer firefighters risk their health and lives to help our communities and they deserve the utmost respect and support,” Stec said. “When Chief Brooks was tragically hurt in the line of duty, the insurance fund for volunteer firefighters should have covered his injuries.
“The Chief James Brook Jr. Act ensures his heroism and service are never forgotten, and it ensure that volunteer firefighters who suffer a similar injury receive the benefits and medical coverage they deserve,” he added. “I’d like to thank Gov. Hochul for signing this essential bill into law and my colleagues for passing this bi-partisan measure supporting our volunteer firefighters.”