News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
It’s been extremely quiet lately so here are a few pictures from today. The weather has been relatively warm so far this winter but the real cold is on the way. The temperature is expected to hit negative numbers over the next few days. We really do get some extreme weather in the Adirondacks! (Click images to see larger view.)
State Senator Dan Stec (R,C,I-Queensbury) today said Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed an unprecedented state budget for its heavy reliance on federal aid to balance the state’s financial books. Cuomo is seeking $15 billion in state and local aid from the federal government to close a huge budget gap in the upcoming fiscal year.
“The governor says he has a lot of friends in Washington, DC so when it comes to the funding I say ‘go get it’,” said Stec. “According to the governor, New York State is the number one donor state, putting in more and getting back less from the federal government year after year. He said this has persisted going back to the days of Senator Patrick Moynihan who retired from the US Senate 20 years ago.
“The governor has had ten years to address what he calls ‘a chronic injustice’ but he hasn’t. The time is now and he needs to get the job done,” said Stec.
Stec said the governor’s approach of waiting for federal assistance will create an enormous challenge for lawmakers as well as advocates, including schools, hospitals and not-for-profits, trying to figure out what will and won’t be possible to fund.
“On an executive budget presentation day, we might typically say ‘the devil is in the details’ but, based on what we heard today I am thinking this is a budget based on a ‘hope and a prayer’.
“From my perspective, job one is restarting the economy. I have been and will continue to talk with our chambers of commerce and local businesses to see what the State of New York should be doing to help them in the months ahead,” said Stec.
HWA infestations can be most noticeably detected by the small, white, woolly masses produced by the insects that are attached to the underside of the twig, near the base of the needles.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and partners recently issued an update about ongoing efforts to limit the spread of the invasive pest Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA) on Forest Preserve lands in Washington County as part of an ongoing, multi-year initiative. DEC confirmed the HWA infestation in August 2020, and began treatment in October on affected hemlock trees in the Glen Island Campground on the shores of Lake George.
Treatment began Oct. 6, 2020 along the shorelines of Lake George and was conducted over a four-week period by DEC staff. DEC prioritized the infestation at Paradise Bay due to the site’s size and levels of infestation. Crews treated 2,374 trees with insecticide on 138 acres of Paradise Bay and injected insecticides directly into the trunks of 80 trees close to sensitive areas. In addition, the New York State Hemlock Initiative released 620 Laricobius beetles, a biological control for HWA, in the treatment area to feed on HWA.
Since the initial finding of HWA at Glen Island, DEC and its partners continued to survey for the insect in surrounding areas. These surveys led to new findings of HWA at Shelving Rock; Buck Mountain Trail Head; Dome Island, private property along the southern shore of Lake George in Queensbury; and Moreau Lake State Park. To address the infestation, DEC is planning consecutive annual treatments to treat many of the trees in the infested areas, as well as additional strategies. Spring treatments at Glen Island Campground will begin after ground thaw when trees begin to transpire and will take up insecticides and end before the campground opens for the season. Treatment dates and strategies are being determined and will help limit the spread of HWA and protect accessible priority hemlock resources that provide habitat and water quality protections, opportunities for recreation, and aesthetic benefits.
Early detection and rapid response to invasive pests is central to protecting New York’s natural resources. DEC and its partners’ efforts to further prevent the spread of HWA are critical to protecting the hemlock forests in the Lake George watershed and greater Adirondack Park.
Signs of HWA on hemlock trees include white wooly masses (ovisacs) about one-quarter the size of a cotton swab on the underside of branches at the base of needles, gray-tinted foliage, and needle loss. DEC is asking the public to report signs of HWA:
Take pictures of the infestation signs as described above (include something for scale such as a coin);
Note the location (intersecting roads, landmarks, or GPS coordinates);
Contact DEC or the local Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) by visiting DEC’s website.
Report the infestation to iMapInvasives; and
Slow the spread of HWA by cleaning equipment or gear after it has been near an infestation and by leaving infested material where it was found.
The University of Maryland Medical System has released this short flyer which is easy to read and dispels some of the myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines.
With the rollout of the vaccine beginning, perhaps this might be helpful and informative.
COVID-19 VACCINE INFO (Update: 01/12/2021, 4:45 PM)
Information is forthcoming and changing quickly from the state, all deployments / distribution of vaccine are dependent on the current supply of vaccine being available. Deployment of the limited vaccine available is being coordinated at the state level for the regional vaccination HUB areas. Please Note: Eligibility does not guarantee vaccine availability for each individual in the category and appointments will be made as vaccine is available to local distribution sites.
While our Washington County, NY Public Health Department continues their planning and coordination efforts for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine with the Capital Region HUB partners, we are currently awaiting a supply of vaccine and do not have any available for distribution at this time. PLEASE DO NOT call our Public Health office relative to vaccine, when PODs (Points of Distribution) are open, an announcement will be made on all of our sites / outlets and all scheduling will be done through the state’s system online or by phone with the NYS Vaccination Hotline (**launching at 4:00 PM today**) at (833)NYS-4VAX. We caution there will not be vaccine available to all eligible individuals at one time, appointments will be scheduled as vaccine availability will allow. Per the Governor’s announcement, at the current rate of supply, it will take approximately 16 weeks to complete vaccine rollout to those currently deemed eligible.
I WANT TO BE VACCINATED, WHAT CAN I DO?
Are you eligible? http://bit.ly/COVID19_AmIEligible
No internet access? Call (833)NYS-4VAX (after 4PM today)
Check with your Healthcare Provider for vaccine availability
Check with Pharmacies: CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens & Kinney
Check our site for updates: washingtoncountyny.gov/coronavirus
For the latest information on the COVID-19 Vaccine and NYS Vaccine Distribution Program, check the state’s website here: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/
Our team at Washington County, NY Public Health Department remains committed to ensuring all those in our county who wish to be vaccinated can be vaccinated! The distribution of vaccine is an extensive process and will take a significant amount of time to get to everyone, we are required to abide by the stipulations as set forth in the state’s distribution program and are limited by supply. We encourage everyone to stay up to date, informed and be patient as we all work through these challenges together.
Town of Dresden
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On Jan. 9 at 5:16 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 28-year-old hiker from Ballston Spa who became disoriented and lost the trail while hiking Erebus Mountain. Three Forest Rangers responded to assist. Ranger Hess entered the Lake George Wild Forest at the end of Shelving Rock Road while Rangers Donegan and St. Claire entered by boat from the Green Island Maintenance Center. At 9:30 p.m., Rangers located the lost hiker and proceeded to warm her and assess her injuries. The hiker was safely escorted down to the boat for transport back to the maintenance center and given a courtesy ride back to her vehicle at the trailhead. Rangers were cleared of the scene and back in service at 10:55 p.m.
The minutes for the regular December meeting of the Dresden Town Board were approved Monday night at the January meeting and have been posted on the town’s website.
It’s #SaveTheEaglesDay! Since the bald eagle restoration program ended in ’89, their population continues to grow. Winter is one of the best times to view eagles in NYS—they start arriving in Dec., with concentrations peaking in Jan. & Feb. https://t.co/A0yKlwT3bY
? Maria Mahar pic.twitter.com/ia2diwyFjC— NYSDEC (@NYSDEC) January 10, 2021
In 1976 there was only one pair of bald eagles nesting in New York. Conservation efforts have increased that number to 389 territories in 2015.
Bald eagles mate for life – which can be over 30 years.
Nests are reused and added to each year, growing to over six feet across, eight feet deep, and weighing hundreds of pounds.
An eagle’s 2-inch-long talons can exert 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
The Town of Dresden will be holding the monthly board meeting on Monday January 11 2021 at 7:00 pm. Topics are the 2020 closing and 2021 organizational meetings. If attending please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
The “Top News Story of Huletts” for 2020 is how the community responded to the COVID-19 international pandemic.
So here we are at the end of 2020, with 2021 now in sight. What a year it has been.
For the “Top News Story of Huletts” for the year – the unforgettable one is clearly how the community responded to the COVID-19 international pandemic.
Everything changed radically as the coronavirus spread around the world during the early months of 2020. States of Emergency were declared in New York and surrounding states, the Chairman of the Washington County Board of Supervisors called upon people to stay away and travel was limited to and from states with high transmission rates. Construction projects in Huletts were halted as workers were forced to “lock down.”
As people started returning to Huletts in the spring, changes were necessary everywhere to protect the community. For a place like Huletts, which has a very active social life, things changed rapidly for the 2020 season. Association meetings moved to online platforms, social gatherings were extremely limited, social distancing started even on beaches and large gatherings ceased. Masks were worn everywhere.
However people worked together to allow the summer season to go on. Everyone stepped up and the season – which had begun with extreme anxiety – transformed with an attitude of “we can do this.” I will not forget, on one early morning walk, I encountered the President of one Association painting “six foot” circles at 5:30 am so that people could enjoy the day but be safe at the same time. Signs were made, changes occurred in the daily routines of almost everyone – but the summer went on and people were able to enjoy the beauty of Lake George and the surrounding Adirondacks. It wasn’t easy at times, but we made it through one year and hopefully the worst is behind us.
As the year ends – a vaccine is now out. 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 the pandemic year of 2020 working together to keep Huletts safe.
May 2021 be a better year, full of good tidings for everyone.
Happy New Year!
Excerpted from the Fort Edward Advertiser – November 10, 1921
“Reports from the physical ability tests held in May in the public schools of the state show that several Washington county schools won standing among the leading schools of the state. Certificates for the winning schools are soon to be mailed from the state educational department at Albany.
Of the Washington county contestants, the girls of district number 1 in Dresden stood the highest, both seniors and juniors having 100 percent.”
The day is overcast and cold. Most of the snow from last week has melted. (Click image to see larger version.)
Gospel LK 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”