News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
The minutes from the June and July 2016 Dresden Town Board meetings were recently approved and have been posted on the town’s website.
The August minutes will not be approved until September and so on. (Some months are not immediately approved at the following month’s meeting in the event of changes.)
A demonstration of a “Stryker Rescue Chair” was given to the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company.
The August 15, 2016 training session at the firehouse was dedicated to a demonstration of a new emergency asset being considered for purchase by the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company, the “Stryker Rescue Chair.” Fire Chief, Jay Vander Plaat, made arrangements to have the manufacture’s representative, Ms. Melissa Garcia, come and give a demonstration of the characteristics and capabilities of this very durable, yet lightweight piece of equipment; and its ease of handling in transporting injured victims of fire or medical emergencies.
Under an agreement with Stryker, the chair is currently on loan to to our Fire Company so that it can be tested under emergency conditions.
After completing that assessment, a decision will be made whether or not to purchase this new equipment. Here are several photos of the training session.
Volunteers were enlisted to sit in the chair while others moved them.
It makes it easier to transport a person down a flight of stairs.
The chair folds and stores easily.
Numerous safety features were explained.
A picture of the full chair.
It stores easily in the side compartment of a fire truck.
An automated external defibrillator (AED).
I received word this past week from the Huletts Volunteer Fire Company Chief, Jay Vander Plaat, that the new AED’s which the fire company ordered have arrived.
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can stop an irregular heart rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of heart function.
This is a milestone which the community has a right to be proud about.
Last year, the Fire Department’s fund drive was focused on raising the money to replace their current four AED’s with new models.
The Fire Department wanted to put these life saving devises around the Landing for members of the community to use in the event of an emergency. In order to do that, people had to be trained.
Thus, the Fire Department first provided the community with the classroom instruction in first aid, CPR and the proper use of the AED.
The Huletts Landing Property Owners Civic Association submitted the paperwork and applied for PAD which stands for Public Access Defibrillator through Glen’s Falls Hospital which provided medical direction along with Dr. Desaderio from the ER, who handles EMS services for the Mountain Lakes Region.
Susan Biondo DeVerna, because of the death of her husband on the Landing and the Fire Department’s effort to save his life, is donating an AED and its water proof storage box to be housed along the HLPOCA’s beach and tennis area.
For all those who worked to make this happen – the community is extremely grateful.
Map of Bridge the Nose Initiative (Click image to see larger view.)
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has acquired 65 acres in the Town of Putnam from Thomas and Christine Bain. The land contains important wetlands and includes a significant part of the Sucker Brook marsh, which drains directly into Lake George at Glenburnie.
The acquisition also protects a large area of rare northern white cedar swamp. This habitat type is threatened State-wide by development, habitat alteration, and recreational overuse, as well as invasive species, such as purple loosestrife and reedgrass.
“Sucker Brook and its marsh have been a part of my family for five generations,” said Thomas Bain. “Purchased by my Great Grandfather around 1945 it has been enjoyed by generations of the Bain Family down through my children. The serenity and quiet beauty of that location is treasured by myself and my extended family. I can recall hiking through the marsh in the middle of winter as a boy and being amazed by the stark contrast of the rich jet black mud bottom of Sucker Brook to the surrounding bright white snow.”
“Knowing that it is protected,” Bain continued, “and in turn offers a small portion of protection to Lake George into which it runs, gives me great satisfaction. My family and I enjoy our visits to Putnam and always stop and take in the grand views of Lake George from Gull Bay or Glen Bernie. Keeping the lake in a pristine condition is essential to maintaining that beauty. The Lake George Land Conservancy has allowed us to contribute to maintaining that legacy for many generations to come.”
Photo of Lake George, South from Record Hill/Anthony’s Nose © Carl Heilman, II (Click image to see larger view.)
“The Bains have been respectful caretakers of this land for generations and understand its important connection to protecting the lake,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “We are extremely grateful to them for their conservation ethic and for working with us on this important protection project. This really is a clear example of working with a landowner who understands how important the land is what we are talking about when we say protecting the land to protect the lake.”
The acquisition is part of the LGLC’s Bridge the Nose Initiative, which will allow the LGLC to complete its ten-year effort to conserve the 2,000-acre Sucker Brook complex in order to protect the water quality of Lake George, connect existing lands protected by the LGLC and New York State for recreation and wildlife, and conserve the region’s rare northern white cedar swamp ecosystem.
Sucker Brook is one of Lake George’s ten largest tributaries, which means that the water flowing through it may significantly impact the lake’s water quality. Its protection by the LGLC provides a safeguard against excess storm water, erosion of the stream corridor, and nutrient loading from neighboring sources of fertilizers and road salt, further protecting the lake’s water quality.
This most recent acquisition is adjacent to the LGLC’s Gull Bay and Last Great Shoreline Preserves, filling in a gap between the properties. The LGLC expects to extend the preserves’ trail systems to include a strategically placed boardwalk along or through the northern white cedar swamp with wildlife viewing platforms.
A Budweiser Clydesdale at home in St. Louis.
The world famous Budweiser Clydesdale team will be in the Charles R. Wood Park in Lake George Village this Thursday, August 18th between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. They will be available for taking pictures with.
Between 5:00 and 6:00 pm, they will parade down Beach Road and Canada Street. So if you’re planning on going down to the “Village,” you can see them on Thursday afternoon.
Below is the percentage of students who were proficient on the Common Core tests in Math and English at the Whitehall School District.
| Grade 3 | Grade 3 | Grade 8 | Grade 8 | ||||||
| Math | English | Math | English | ||||||
| 09% | 30% | 13% | 08% |
The 3rd grade Math and the 8th grade English scores were the lowest in the county.
Nancy Kimball, wildlife rehabilitator, will speak on Thursday, August 26th at 6:30 pm at the Mountain Grove Memorial Church as part of the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing Summer Lecture Series.
Nancy Kimball, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, will present a program on the characteristics and behaviors of raptors that live in this area. Nancy has 12 years of experience in this field of home-based wildlife rehabilitation, and will be accompanied at this presentation by some of her educational birds.
Mountain Grove Memorial Church – Thursday, August 26th – 6:30 PM
Free to FHHL Members/$5 Non-Members
The Friends of Historic Huletts Landing will be having their annual Art Auction on Saturday August 20th between 5:00 -7:00 pm.
For all artists who would like to donate their work, please drop off art at the Gallery between 10:00 am and noon on:
Tuesday 8/16
Thursday 8/18
Saturday 8/20
While I rarely report on International news, I came across this great video about how Venezuela descended into chaos. It shows how government corruption gave rise to Hugo Chavez who then started nationalizing businesses. Narrator Erick Brimen makes an interesting point: “Venezuela had a democracy, constitution, you know, division of power in government but people were not educated in the principles of freedom and they vote for whoever promises more.” It’s a worthy 7 minute watch.
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Albany, Edward B. Scharfenberger, D.D., will visit Huletts Landing, Saturday August 13th.
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Albany, Edward B. Scharfenberger, D.D., will visit Huletts Landing this Saturday, August 13th, to dedicate the new altar installed recently in the Chapel of the Assumption.
The Bishop will celebrate Mass in the Chapel of the Assumption at 6:00 pm and will be joining parishioners afterwards for a reception at the Huletts Landing Property Owners Civic Association’s pavilion.
(Note: this is not the Washington County Park pavilion. The reception will be at the Huletts Landing Property Owners Civic Association’s pavilion .)
Parishioners from Huletts Landing, Whitehall and Fort Ann are invited to attend and it is suggested that attendees bring their own lawn chairs.
Sean Kennelly, overall winner of the 2016 Day to Remember Kerry A. McNelis Memorial Run, heads to the finish line.
The Huletts Landing Day to Remember was this past Saturday. Here are the results from the Kerry A. McNelis Memorial Run.
Special award:
Hudson Smith– youngest competitor (7 years old)
15 and Under Women
1. Lauren Keough
2. Kyle Shultz
3. Irene McNelis
19 and Under Men
1. John Keenan Jr.
2. Patrick McNelis Jr.
3. John McNelis Jr.
16-29 Women
1. Candise Rubenstein
2. Amanda McNelis
3. Katelyn McNelis
20-30 Men
1. Sean Kennelly
2. Travis Lancaster
3. Patrick Keenan
3. Travis Lancaster
30-49 Women
1. Lauren Jones
2. Ellyse Brenan
30-49 Men
1. Matthew Davidow
2. John Schultz
3. Chris Cotton
50+ Women (Champions)
1. Joanne Keenan
2. Christine McNelis
3. Pam McNelis
50+ Men (Champions)
1. Patrick Keenan
2. John McNelis
3. Kevin McNelis
To all the winners and event participants: Congratulations!
The weather could not have been more accommodating in providing another beautiful day for the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company’s 2016 “Open House” on Saturday, August 6th.
Local family and friends and, most especially, the children, were treated to “Goody Bags”, ” Face Painting”, “Ice Cream” and many “Hands on Activities” which included operating fire hoses, sounding the fire truck horns, and sitting behind the big steering wheels in the cabs of the Company’s big red fire trucks.
The first 30 resident families to arrive received free, brand new, hand held “Fire Extinquishers.” Through the generosity of one of the Firefighters, any one on the Landing in need of reflective house numbers was also provided them at no charge. This is always a big help to the fire company when responding to fire and medical emergencies.
All in all, a good time was had by those who attended. Many thanks to Chief Jay VanderPlatt and his fantastic supporting staff of volunteer firefighters and the ladies auxiliary for their great effort in making this day a very special one indeed. Here are few photos of the days activities.
