News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
Washington County Gets Serious About Saving Money
This is good to see. Washington County sees that they have to cut back. Read the Wash Blog.
The Adirondack Museum Opens on May 22
The Adirondack Almanack tells you all you need to know about the museum’s great new exhibits and 2009 schedule.
Saratoga’s 2009 Schedule
While we’re on the subject of fun things to do in 2009, here is Saratoga’s racing schedule for 2009.
“When I was a child, my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk you’ll end up as the pope.’ Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”
— Pablo Picasso
Click on the image to see a larger view.
This is a picture of people waiting for the steamer to arrive in Bolton Landing in 1902. It’s always fascinating to see pictures of people getting off and on the steamships because they traveled in such different clothes than people travel in today.
This picture caught my attention for a couple of reasons. The men are all wearing hats and the women are all in dresses. It’s interesting that you can even see the horses with a carriage for luggage waiting in the back. It’s easy to forget but this was before the age of the automobile.
“In my eager surprise I was trying to behold God’s deathless, sapphire gemmed city of burnished gold.”
H.H.Hyder, “The Double Golden Chains with Blazing Diamonds Strung” (1889)
The year of 1816 is commonly known as the year without a summer. I found this interesting article from the Warrensburg News from August 31, 1905. It tells about how our area was severely affected by the extreme weather.
Year Without A Summer
Ice Formed in July and Corn Was Frozen in August 1816.
Eighty-nine years ago was the year without a summer. Frost occurred every month in the year 1816. Ice formed a half inch think in May. Snow fell to the depth of three inches in New York and also in Massachusetts in June. Ice was formed of a thickness of common window glass throughout New York on the 5th of July. Indian corn was so frozen that the greater part was cut in August and dried for fodder, and the farmers supplied themselves from the corn produced in 1815 for the seed in the spring of 1817. The old timers of Warren county will tell you that the rising generation is “not in it” with all the big snow storms when comparison is made away back in the days when they were boys.
Many people know of “Hogtown” Road in Fort Ann. I was not aware that this area got it’s name from the year of 1816 when local farmers brought their hogs to this area to feed because of the plentiful nuts and acorns on the ground. It was the only thing that the hogs could eat that year because there was nothing to feed the livestock.
To learn more about the year without a summer, look here.
The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Take Two
Ever heard that Japanese knotweed or garlic mustard threaten the Adirondacks? Well they do. Read the Adirondack Alamanacks’ article on how the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) was one of 26 projects across New York State to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s highest honor: the Environmental Quality Award.
This is Wrong: NY State as the Godfather
The State of NY has gone off the deep end with this move. Expect more businesses to leave NY over this one.
Washington County Sales Tax Down
This is not good news for next years Washington County Budget.
The NCAA basketball tournament is over for this year but I finally got a chance to sit down with my friend Mike Lonergan and talk about what life is like for the Vermont basketball coach. As we head into our “summer season”, his year is winding down and we finally had a chance to get caught up.
If you see Mike on the beach this summer, he’ll talk basketball all day long.
We go back to our days at Catholic University when we were both students. You would go on to become the head coach there and actually won the NCAA Div III championship in 2001. Could you tell our readers a little bit about that experience?
“Coaching at my alma mater was a great experience and it was very rewarding. We built the most successful Division III men’s basketball program in the country and did it with true student athletes. The last 3 seasons I coached at Catholic University my wife was the women’s basketball coach which was kind of cool. We were actually able to help each other recruit. We didn’t just talk about the CUA Basketball Family we actually lived it!”
After that you moved on to the University of Maryland as an assistant coach, do you have any good stories about your days at Maryland that you could share?
“I was a lifelong Maryland fan and a Gary Williams fan. I had a great time during my 1 season coaching at Maryland but it was a little difficult being an assistant coach again after being a head coach the previous 12 seasons. It was a great experience working for Gary but I can’t tell you any stories about Gary. You wouldn’t believe them anyways! He is a great coach and quite a character.”
You are now the head coach at the University of Vermont and have had good success there. What is the life of a NCAA coach like? Do you spend most of the year recruiting? Is there alot of travel?
“We have been fortunate to have had a lot of success here at UVM. It is truly a special place. I can’t think of a better place for my wife, Maggie, and I to raise our 4 children. Coaching is not an easy life. I spend a lot of time on the road and it makes my wife’s life tougher but the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices my family has made. I actually recruit less at UVM than I did at Catholic University because of the NCAA rules. There are certain times of the year that are “dead” periods when we are not allowed off campus to recruit. At DIII you could recruit 365 days/year! The best time of the year for DI basketball coaches is August. We are not allowed to recruit and our students are home most of that month. I love August because my family can go for a nice vacation at our favorite place – Hulett’s Landing! People always tell me I don’t know how to relax but I finally found a place where even I can relax and enjoy, and that’s Hulett’s Landing!”
You probably get this a lot, but what exactly is a Catamount?
“A Catamount is a type of Mountain wild cat. It is supposedly extinct but there have been some reported sightings in the last few years. I actually like that our mascot is a Catamount because it is not a common nickname.”
Mike – I know a lot of your friends in Huletts were disappointed when Vermont lost the America East tournament this year. Could you give us your thoughts?
“We had a very good year (24-9, America East regular season co champions) but didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully next season will be even better. I hope some of the people from Huletts can come up to Burlington next winter and see us play. It is a great atmosphere at Patrick Gym. We have one of the best players in the country in 2 time America East Player of the Year Marqus Blakely. He is fun to watch!”
Mike thanks for taking the time to tell our readers about Vermont basketball and how great Huletts Landing is!
Smiles all around.
Today we conclude our questions with the second candidate running for the two seats on the Board of Education up for election on May 19th. The Huletts Current submitted the following questions to each candidate running for the school board. I explained to each candidate that I would run their answers as the they submitted them on the Huletts Current.
Could you please tell us about yourself and why you are running for the school board?
The Town of Dresden pays a high percentage of the taxes to finance the school budget (around 50%) while having only approximately 10% of the students in the school district. What specific steps will you advocate that will decrease school taxes?
Residents of Huletts Landing feel their concerns regarding rising taxes are not being heard. Would you be willing to attend a meeting in the summer at Huletts Landing to listen to the concerns of seasonal residents there who pay a proportionally large share of the school budget?
Are you in favor of academic, behavioral and/or attendance probation that will deny students the ability to participate in interscholastic or after-school activities who are failing, exhibit behavioral problems and/or who refuse to attend school regularly?
For the past several years, the Whitehall School District has run budget surpluses that are placed in special reserve accounts after approval by the voters to be spent later with voter approval. Will you vote to return any of these budget surpluses to the taxpayers in the form of reduced taxes if elected? Does this indicate a problem with the budgeting process to be consistently over-budget every year?
Today we present how Mr. Jim Huntington, the current school board president and candidate for the school board, replied to our questions.
Dear Mr. Kapusinski:
I have received your letter dated April 18, 2009. Thank you for your interest in my position as a candidate for the Whitehall Central School Board. I do appreciate your interest in my views as a candidate, however at this time, I feel that as a sitting Board member, I would be overstepping my position to attend a meeting in Huletts without the full consent of my fellow Board members whom I would be representing. As President of the Board, it is my duty to represent the consensus of the board in each area that is questioned. If I stated my opinion, without asking for Board approval, I do not feel that I would be fairly representing the School Board.
Yes, I am a resident of Dresden and I am proud to have lived here all of my life and to have raised my three children here. Now, I am a representative of not only the people of Dresden, but I am a representative for all of the residents of the Whitehall School District. All students, no matter whether they reside in Dresden, Hampton or Whitehall are my concern. I do not favor any one over the other. They are all important to me as they should be.
I am proud of the fact that the Whitehall School Board, the Administration and the entire staff continually consider the needs of our School Community and learning environment. In the present economy, there is a delicate balance in providing for the education for all of our students and the funds needed to sustain the high level of education, which is provided to our students. We, as a Board, strive to meet government mandates in a way that keeps costs as low as possible and at the same time provide a meaningful education that will ensure success to all students.
Mr. Kapusinski, I acknowledge that we share the same concerns in this educational process. That is why I became an involved taxpayer. I, as I’m sure you do, want to provide our children with an education that will help to ensure them a successful and productive future. At the same time, the School Board is acutely aware of the cost burden put upon the taxpayers. These are tough decisions and we certainly try to make decisions that benefit the majority and still stay within New York Department of Education mandates.
As always, the Board of Education meets on the third Monday of every month. We would gladly listen to any concerns and comments whenever they are presented.
Sincerely,
Jim Huntington
While this article from the Post Star is almost completely about the public beach in Jackson having its hours cut this summer, the article touches upon the schedule for the Washington County Beach in Huletts at the end.
“The Huletts beach will be open 84 days from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Its season also starts on Memorial Day weekend. The beach will be open regularly starting June 28 until Sept. 7.”
While the supervisors had previously cut the spending for both the Jackson and Dresden beaches late last year, the Dresden Town Board came up with a plan to keep the Huletts beach open and operating as it has in the past.
This is the difference that good leadership makes.
This year there are two vacancies on the Board of Education and only two candidates running for these two seats. The Huletts Current submitted the following questions to each candidate running for the school board. I explained to each candidate that I would run their answers as the they submitted them on the Huletts Current.
Could you please tell us about yourself and why you are running for the school board?
The Town of Dresden pays a high percentage of the taxes to finance the school budget (around 50%) while having only approximately 10% of the students in the school district. What specific steps will you advocate that will decrease school taxes?
Residents of Huletts Landing feel their concerns regarding rising taxes are not being heard. Would you be willing to attend a meeting in the summer at Huletts Landing to listen to the concerns of seasonal residents there who pay a proportionally large share of the school budget?
Are you in favor of academic, behavioral and/or attendance probation that will deny students the ability to participate in interscholastic or after-school activities who are failing, exhibit behavioral problems and/or who refuse to attend school regularly?
For the past several years, the Whitehall School District has run budget surpluses that are placed in special reserve accounts after approval by the voters to be spent later with voter approval. Will you vote to return any of these budget surpluses to the taxpayers in the form of reduced taxes if elected? Does this indicate a problem with the budgeting process to be consistently over-budget every year?
Today we present how, Mr. Adam Mickel, candidate for the school board, replied to our questions.
Adam Mickel, pictured on the left, is a candidate in this years election for the school board.
Dear Mr. Kapusinski:
I appreciate your interest in the Whitehall Board of Education Elections this year.
I have attached a statement in lieu of your specific questions. I did this as I do not feel comfortable answering questions of policies that I have yet to be acquainted with. I also did not have an adequate time for verify the percentage and facts you relied on, which I am sure you can appreciate as a journalist and a lawyer. What I have provided you with is a brief overview of my background and experience. I also touched, in general, the topics that you originally asked.
I will leave it up to you if you print my response or not.
Thank you for the opportunity to address your readership.
Adam J. Mickel MS Ed.
(Editor’s Note: I replied to Mr. Mickel that while I would take credit for being a blogger, I am not an attorney.)
My name is Adam Mickel and I am candidate for the Whitehall Central School District Board of Education this May 2009. I was born and raised in Whitehall and have strong family ties to the area. I graduated Whitehall Jr.-Sr. High School in 1994. I went on to Adirondack Community College where I earned my Associates of Science in Criminal Justice. I then furthered my education and attended the College of St. Joseph in Rutland and earned a Bachelors of Arts in Education/Liberal Studies. I finished off my student career at SUNY Plattsburgh earning a Masters of Science in Education. I then taught for four years at the elementary level, and later finished the course work to gain my secondary licensure, and taught social studies in middle and high school for an additional three years. During the summer I also taught Adult Basic Education at Great Meadow Correctional Facility for six consecutive summers. I recently left the education field and became a Vermont Correctional Officer and have had been employed at the Southern State Correctional Facility since March of 2008. On a personal note, my wife, Julie Gosselin-Mickel, and I purchased our first home together in the village. We reside there with our daughters Alexandria Mickel and Elizabeth Gosselin.
With my varied background I feel as though I can accurately understand all facets of the educational system: as a former educator, a parent, a community member, and as a taxpayer. First and foremost is that education is Paramount. Taxes are always a concern to all families, especially in these hard economic times, but we need to balance this with our children’s’ and community’s needs. I feel as those my perspective, and multiple hats I have worn if you will, places me in a position to be an effective board member.
I have attended many different board of education meetings during the course of my career. I would like to see attendance at the board meetings increase. Public participation is a fundamental part of any political entity, and I believe that participation and attendance show a strong support and interest in the school and community. I believe this so strongly that I, as a Participation in Government Teacher, used to require my students to attend school board, as well as town and village board, meetings. It is during this venue that such things as interscholastic eligibility policies and budget discussions can be observed and audience input sought.
I look forward to serving my community and getting back into the educational system in a new capacity. I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the school district.
The Whitehall School District will have an election Tuesday, May 19th between 12:00 noon and 9:00 p.m. in the large group instruction room in the high-school on Buckley Road:
1.) To adopt next years budget.
2.) To elect two (2) members of the school board.
3.) To vote on three (3) propositions:
a.) The purchase of one school bus for $184,000.
b.) To increase the capital reserve fund from $1,500,000 to $3,500,000 and to transfer an excess $500,000 from this year’s general fund to the capital reserve fund.
c.) To grant the Whitehall library $15,000.
Absentee Ballot applications can be applied for at the office of the Clerk of the District on each of five (5) days prior to the election except Saturday & Sunday.
In an effort to cover all of these topics, I will be focusing on school district issues over the next two weeks.
I came across an interesting book entitled; Turn-of-the-Century Scrapbook of Jonathan Streeter Gates Bolton, NY August 2, 1847 – December 11, 1921. It is a compilation of newspaper clippings from that period. One short article dealt with Huletts Landing and it is fascinating.
It is simply dated August 1911. It does not say what newspaper it was clipped from. The grandmother referred to in the article is the wife of Harvey Hulett, Olivia Pratt. Olivia Pratt was born in 1798 and died Jan 20, 1872.
The Russel Hulett that the article quotes is actually Harvey Russell Hulett who was the grandson of Harvey and Olivia (Pratt) Hulett and the son of Harvey Hulett Jr. (Both his grandfather and his father would have been named Harvey Hulett) They must have called him Russell because he would have been the third male, all living at the same time, named Harvey Hulett! Now how’s that for some confusion.
The article sheds some light into what living in Huletts Landing was like in 1861. I’ve copied it as written (it does say “shoes” in the 4th line) and the wording and punctuation is as it was written in 1911.
Aug. 1911
Fifty Years Ago – And Now
Mr. Russel Hulett of Ticonderoga in a recent conversation recalled his grandmother’s prophecy. Made fifty years ago (1861), when Huletts Landing was a little farm on the cove-level between the lake and its eastern hills, and when occasionally, city-tired folks searching the lovely wooded shoes of Lake George for a place of rest would stop at the farm house, and, for what would today be a small sum, enjoyed for a time its generous, if unpretentious hospitality.
This prophecy was that in a few more years there will stand “on this very spot,” a large hotel and great numbers of people would come to it in the hot weather. Her children smiled. Her grand-children declared – “Grandmother thinks that ere or two swallows are going to make a summer – by-and-by!,” and laughed. But the old lady, nodding her wise head, said – “I won’t live to see it but you will”.
And they did. Where the ancient farm-house then nestled under the maple tree now stands the Hulett House; where the apple orchard straggled, and the corn rows stretched in pennoned over a grassy, tree-dotted plain; where grandmother Hulett used to sit knitting in the chimney-corner, tables are now laid in July and August for two hundred and more guests; where the clear waters of the lake, washing over the stones and lapping the sandy scimiter-shaped shore, once lulied the dear old woman to sleep under the mossy eaves now rocks a fleet of boats, and a fine pavillion tempts the votaries of Terpischore to “trip the light fantastic.”
Champlain’s Astrolabe Now on a Keychain
The Times of Ti had an interesting story about a new keychain made in celebration of Samuel de Champlain’s Quadricentennial year. The keychain is made like an astrolabe which Champlain used in discovering the lake which bears his name. It was a astronomical instrument which was used in locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars; determining local time given local latitude and vice-versa; surveying; and triangulation. With no GPS, what’s an explorer to do?
No East Lake George for You
The Post Star reports that there will be no new village of East Lake George this year.
Ticonderoga Ferry Gets New Owners
The Press Republican reports that the Ti Ferry has been sold. This is a great trip over to Vermont from Ticonderoga if you’ve never taken it.
Is the Huletts Current the Best Blog Out There?
There’s a new invention coming soon that will revolutionize the Internet. You know the answer to this question already but if you want to learn how the Internet is about to change, click here.
Updated 5:55 p.m.
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