The Lake Champlain Bridge between Crown Point, NY and Addison, Vermont was demolished this morning. Here is the video.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URYzzGlcSKU
Bits of Everything
Who Are The Most Influential People in Adirondack History?
John Warren at the Adirondack Almanack has a great idea for a list.
End of Stimulus Means Schools Must Cut
See how much funding may be lost by the Whitehall school with an end to stimulus funding in the Capitol Confidential blog.
Bolton to Get Started on Wastewater Upgrade
The Post Star reports on how technological advances can clean the environment without taking people’s property rights away.
One Fine Arrangement
Bits of Everything
Ground Broken on Bolton Pier
Even though it’s a bit cold outside, work started this week on improving the pier in Bolton Landing. The renovation will include 10 more dock spaces. Read about it in the Post Star.
Why Can’t The Cell Phone Companies All Get Along? (and share a tower)
The Capitol Confidential Blog has a great picture of a cell phone tower that looks like a tree and some great commentary on cell phone towers in the Adirondacks. I agree with the Adirondack Council on this one. There’s no reason why numerous carriers can’t share one pole.
Meeting Matters: Washington County Board of Supervisors
The Post Star reports on garbage stickers, tourism and the Sheriff from the Washington County Board of Supervisors.
Bits of Everything
Boathouse Hearings to be Held
The Adirondack Park Agency is going to hold a series of hearings before revising their boathouse regulations, the Adirondack Almanack reports.
Salt Alternatives to Protect the Environment
This is an interesting piece I ran across regarding alternatives to rock salt from the Mother Nature Network.
This is What Happens When You Overspend
David Paterson announced the budget mess is so bad, he’s withholding 10% of school and local aid, it was reported by the NY Post. Why not start tying school aid to enrollment figures?
Cool Pictures of Lake Champlain Bridge Design Concepts
The NY State Dept of Transportation has released different design concepts for the new Lake Champlain Bridge between Crown Point, NY and Addison, VT.
Bits of Everything
Local Athletes Try for Olympics
North Country Public Radio has a good piece on those local Adirondack athletes trying to make the 2010 Winter Olympic team.
See Where NY’s Rose Fits In
I came across this neat website where all the state flowers come together to make a beautiful bouquet. Cool!
Bits of Everything
West Brook Project Awarded $2.5 Million
The Village of Lake George has been awarded a $2.5 million by the state Department of Transportation to be used to complete the public park elements of the West Brook Conservation Initiative, Denton Publications reports.
“The park will consist of walking paths, an extension of the Warren County bike trail, restrooms, a children’s play area, fitness trails and interpretive educational areas. The conservation initiatives will dramatically reduce the nutrients and solids reaching the lake that has contributed to a large delta at the foot of West Brook.”
Read the whole piece.
Washington County Taxes: 2008-2010
Nick Reisman at the Wash Blog takes a good look at Washington County taxes from 2008-2010. The Post Star has done a great job covering the tax problems of many local jurisdictions.
Girl Scouts Split over Sale of Camp in Fort Ann
The Albany Times Union reports that the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York want to sell Camp Little Notch, a 2,300-acre Girl Scout camp in Fort Ann. However, another group wants to keep the camp open. The Friends of Camp Little Notch have organized to try to buy the camp. See their website here.
Bits of Everything
Post Star Notices Adirondack Park Agency Craziness
There was an editorial in the Post Star about new proposed Adirondack Park Agency regulations regarding boat houses. Everyone is noticing how fast the APA is killing communities. Read the whole thing.
“The APA apparently has a lot of free time on its hands, now that half the land in the Adirondack Park is protected by statute and the other half is being abandoned faster than an underage drinking party during a police raid. Lacking a sufficient number of puppies to kick and left to its own gluttonous impulses, the agency has decided to extend its regulatory reach to telling lakeside property owners what they can do with the roofs of boathouses.”
Washington County Sales Tax Revenue Up This Month
Nick Reisman at the Wash Blog reports some good news and bad news.
Bridge Must Go
The Addison County Independent has a story about the need to demolish the Lake Champlain Bridge spanning Lake Champlain at Crown Point and Addison, VT.
No Deficit Deal So Far in Special Session
More of doing nothing, makes the deficit go up. Read the Associated Press article.
Vermont Catamounts Open Season at Loyola Friday
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEz2ozOzFqE
Cool Science Website Shows How Small Things Really Are
This is for anyone who loves science. Here is a cool website from the University of Utah that I stumbled upon which shows how small things really are at the microbiological level. Use the scroll bar to zoom in on the bottom.
The Judicial Candidates
New York Supreme Court races have gone largely under the radar so far, namely because judicial candidates really can’t say how they’ll decide individual cases. Huletts Landing is in the the fourth judicial circuit, comprising Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Montogomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties.
New York State Courts offers an impartial voters’ guide here. While it doesn’t say a lot, it’s at least something to consider before you vote.
Bits of Everything
HBO’s Cool New Video Technology
This will really draw you in. It’s called the Art Heist. It’s HBO’s cool new technology which allows you to view a movie from numerous different perspectives. Spin the movie while you watch and go on to other scenes. Click on the “Chart Your Progress” link on the top and watch the whole movie, scene by scene. It will capitivate you.
The Original Lone Ranger
The Washington Post has a book review of, War on the Run, The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America’s First Frontier. This sounds like a great read.
Bits of Everything
Crown Point Bridge Closed
The Crown Point Bridge was closed last week by the state Department of Transportation. This is a major artery between Ticonderoga and Vermont. Here is the Governor’s state of emergency with a phone number to call for updates. The Post Star talks about how its closing could impact Whitehall. The Press Republican has a picture of the bridge.
Rachael Ray’s Menu Goes Public
The NY Post had a piece about Lake George’s own Rachael Ray. It seems that she’s just created a menu for the city’s public schools.
Public Pension Sign Up’s Surge
The Times Union reports that public pension sign up’s are surging. More bad news for the taxpayer.
Bits of Everything
Blogosphere Here to Stay, NY Times Latest to Cut Workforce
The New York Times will cut up to 150 positions because of declines in advertising revenue, it was announced Monday.
Victim of Canon Blast Still Hurts
The Post Star follows-up on the canon accident at Fort William Henry.
Queensbury Moose Relocated
The Post Star reports on the moose caught at Aviation Mall. And you didn’t believe it when we reported a moose sighting.
Amazing New Technology
There is now an application to clean your computer screen from the inside. Click here to see a demonstration.
Can You Hear Me Now? Not From Huletts
“My boss didn’t believe me when I told him, ‘I’m going to a place where there isn’t any cell phone service’.”
Sadly, this is an actual remark that I heard this past summer and it illustrates an issue that must be addressed in Huletts. It impacts everyone and it’s not only a health and safety issue but it’s also an economic one.
The Adirondack Park Agency has the power to approve new cell phone towers and has been criticized for moving slowly on this throughout the Park.
There are a number of innovative new cell phone tower companies, such as this one, who place numerous carriers’ receivers on one pole and who have become expert in hiding these towers in the surrounding forest. They can actually be disguised as a tree or be hidden in the forest’s canopy. Even something as simple as adding a new receiver to an existing emergency pole at a current firehouse, has to go through the APA’s approval process.
Imagine having a drowning or boating accident and reaching for your cell phone only to have no service? Imagine losing a renter or friend who can’t get that important phone call? Isn’t it a shame, that if you break down on certain areas of the mountain, you can’t get any cell phone service at all? In this day and age, it’s a complete travesty that cell phone service is unavailable in large parts of the Adirondacks. We lead the world in technology yet the Adirondack’s are a technological backwater because the Adirondack Park Agency’s can’t approve a cell phone tower quickly.
No longer should the APA be able to hide behind the empty argument that these facilities damage lines of sight. The most innovative cell phone tower companies have already overcome this with truly great designs. Now is the time for the Adirondack’s to catch up with the rest of society.
Hopefully, someday soon, we’ll be to answer the question; “Can you hear me now?” from Huletts.
Bits of Everything
Study Shows Adirondackers Pay High Taxes
The Adirondack Journal reports on an interesting study.
Canon Mishap Story Questioned
The Post Star tells about a freak accident at Fort William Henry in Lake George.
Pakistani President Lands in Rutland
Who would have known? According to Denton Publications the President of Pakistan touched down in Rutland recently.
Washington County Searching for Ways to Deal with Budget
According to the Post Star, the Washington County Board of Supervisors is looking at all options to close the gap in next year’s budget.