News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
Cormorants Flock to Lake George
The Post Star had a good story on a bird problems.
87 Exit 6 Interchange Finished
I know a lot of people who come up from NY City stop here along the way. The Times Union reports the work is done.
Bolton Mountain May Be Purchased by Conservancy
The Post Star had an article on the Lake George Land Conservancy possibly buying a mountain in Bolton.
Super-stylish Houseboat Living in Germany
If you thought houseboats were ugly, check out Freshome.
Holy 50,000! Nigerian Ministry Wants to Build Big in Whitehall
The Post Star had one of the more interesting stories in recent memory about Whitehall.
Spread of Asian Claims Minimal in Lake George
It appears that the Asian claims in Lake George are contained right now. Read the Post Star.
Biggest Beach Bubbles Break
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwAnBKeUS7U&
Buckley Bryan, Jr. (left) receives the Charles H. Tuttle Citation for conservation excellence, the Lake George Association’s highest honor, from LGA Executive Director Walt Lender and Julie Tuttle Currie. Given for the first time in 13 years, the award was presented to honor Buck’s many years of exemplary service, strong leadership, stalwart support, loyalty, generosity, and devotion to the protection of Lake George and the LGA, said Walter Lender, LGA executive director.
The Charles H. Tuttle Citation for conservation excellence was presented for the first time in 13 years to J. Buckley Bryan Jr., the outgoing board president of the Lake George Association, at its 125th Annual Meeting on August 20. The Tuttle Citation is the LGA’s highest honor.
“The award was given for Buck’s many years of exemplary service, strong leadership, stalwart support, loyalty, generosity, and devotion to the protection of Lake George and the LGA,” said Walter Lender, LGA executive director.
Buck Bryan became president of the Lake George Association for the first time in 1975 and served until 1980. While president during that period, Buck helped the LGA to:
– prevent the federal government from assuming control of the lake;
– stop the dumping of boat holding tanks into Lake George waters;
– hire the LGA’s first full-time staff; and
– increase membership in one year by over 800 members.
Thirty years later, after retiring from his career as an airline pilot and returning to the Lake full-time, Buck once again joined the LGA board. In his most recent tenure as president, Buck helped:
– upgrade the navigational markers on the lake;
– update and reprint the navigational charts, working with the LG Power Squadron;
– launch the largest Capital Campaign to preserve the Lake – the West Brook Conservation Initiative (WBCI);
– kick off the WBCI campaign with a lead gift of $50,000, which he has since matched; and
– launch the LGA’s Helen V. Froehlich Legacy Society. Buck announced his intentions to bequeath $1,000,000 of his estate to the LGA.
Buck has lead by example in other ways. On his lakefront property, Buck has installed stormwater management devices and a native vegetated buffer. He cleans out his sediment catchments with the LGA Catch Vac.
At the meeting, Tuttle’s descendents helped present a framed plaque to Buck, which incorporated a Loren Blackburn print of Glen Island looking north. Charles H. Tuttle was president of the LGA from 1927 to 1930 and remained its life-long counsel until his death in 1971. The award in his honor was established in 1970. During Tuttle’s tenure as president much of the important legislation concerning Lake George and its protection was passed. Most of this legislation was drafted and advocated for by Tuttle himself. Tuttle was twice appointed to the Lake George Park Commission and has lived on the Lake most of his life.
A new public informational flyer about Asian clam, an invasive species identified in Lake George for the first time this August, has been released. The flyer explains how citizens can help to identify and prevent the spread of this clam. The flyer is available here.
Designed specifically for Lake George, the flyer will help the general public discern the Asian clam from the native mollusks that live in Lake George and pose no threat. The Asian clam is a very small and round bi-valve. It is typically less than 1.5 inches in size, and can spread rapidly. A single clam can reproduce alone, and can release hundreds of juveniles per day. The biggest problem Asian clams have caused in other water bodies is biofouling – or clogging of water intake pipes.
Officially known as Corbicula fluminea, the Asian clam is native to southern Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and Australia. The Darrin Fresh Water Institute found it off Lake Avenue beach in Lake George Village on August 19. Up to 600 clams per square meter were documented, covering an area of approximately 2.5 acres.
Spearheaded by the Darrin Fresh Water Institute, a committee has formed to coordinate response efforts. Representatives from the Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Lake George Park Commission, Lake George Association, FUND for Lake George, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Adirondack Park Agency, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, and Lake Champlain Basin Program are working together to pool resources and expertise. Their next step is to determine the extent of the spread of the clam, map the extent of the invasion, and then weigh options for eradication or management. The hope is that the infestation has been discovered soon enough to successfully eradicate it.
The public is asked to look for the clams in sandy or gravelly bottom areas of Lake George, in shallow, warm water; this is the clam’s preferred habitat. If a clam is found that matches the description of the Asian clam, citizens are asked to get a sample or take a photograph and call the Lake George Association at 518-668-3558.
In addition, the public can avoid spreading the Asian clam, as well as other invasive species, by following these guidelines whenever leaving a waterway:
Check and remove any visible mud, plants, fish or organisms from boats, trailers, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc.
Clean and eliminate water from equipment. Be sure to drain all water, including live wells and bait buckets.
Do not use Asian clams as bait.
Dry anything that comes in contact with the water.
Never release plants, fish, or other animals into a waterway unless they come from that waterway.
Print out, distribute, and post the informational flyer in your place of business.
LGA lake saving projects, like the dry well installation at Bixby Beach shown here, are made possible in part through funding support from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation.
Lake George, NY – August 30, 2010 – The Lake George Association announced today that the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation has awarded the 125-year old conservation organization a grant of $378,500 for lake-saving initiatives. This is the LGA’s seventeenth consecutive award from the Froehlich Foundation. This grant award will provide $174,500 toward lake saving projects, $56,000 toward education and outreach programs, and $123,000 toward lake quality programs, including Citizen Science and the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program, Invasive Species Management, and Lake Stewards.
“The LGA is grateful for the Foundation’s continuing support, as well as their vote of confidence in the LGA and our efforts to protect the Lake and its watershed for future generations,” said Walt Lender, the LGA’s executive director.
Nearly half of the total grant award will provide funding for the LGA’s Lake Saving Projects. These construction projects improve Lake George’s water quality by preventing sediment and pollutants from entering the lake. “The funds in the grant award, leveraged with our members and donors generosity, put us in a strong position to receive significant funding from public sources, which in turn, extends our ability to complete more projects to protect the Lake,” he said.
The LGA’s popular Floating Classroom program will receive $23,000 to help teach lake science and watershed management to area students. Over 1,000 area students benefit each year from the LGA’s Education and Outreach programs, which are provided free of charge through grants like the one provided by the Froehlich Foundation.
LGA staff also educates homeowners, businesses, municipalities and landscapers about improving water quality by installing vegetative buffers, reducing lawn size and non-permeable surfaces, controlling stormwater runoff through rain gardens and rain barrels, and using no-phosphorus fertilizer and native plant species in landscaping.
The 17 consecutive grant awards from the Froehlich Foundation represent over $5 million dollars worth of improvements to Lake George and the watershed.
Established in 1885, the Lake George Association is America’s first lake association and a pioneer in the conservation movement. The LGA spent over $900,000 in 2009 to carry out its mission to protect Lake George. In addition to the funding from the Froehlich Foundation, the LGA relies on income from membership support and fundraising events.
Invasive Clam Found in Lake George
The Lake George Mirror reports on a new harmful invasive species in Lake George.
Hikers: Like George’s Best Kept Secret
Cat and Thomas Mountains. Ever heard of them? If you love to hike you’ll want to read the Adirondack Almanack.
That’s the Sound of the Garbage Hitting the Fan
The DEC will listen on the island trash issue. The Post Star has a story.
This Saturday: The Antique & Classic Boat Show
The Free George has all the details on this weekend’s Antique and Classic Boat Show in Lake George.
Hutch Metro Celebrates Her Birthday, Empire State Building Plays Party Pooper
Bravos to the Hutchinson Metro Center who celebrated what would have been Mother Theresa’s 100 Birthday. Read what it’s all about in the NY Post.
She Does a Brooklyn Accent Too
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UgpfSp2t6k
Transfer Stations Could Be Cut?
The Post Star reports on Washington County’s planning regarding their transfer stations.
Campers Organize
The Lake George Mirror tells us that island campers have formed their own advocacy group to protest the proposed garbage rules on Lake George islands.
Lake George Beach Closed by Fuel Spill
Shepard Park has had a rough go the last two years. A fuel spill closed the beach according to the Post Star (with video).
How Does Colorado Compare to the Adirondacks?
The Adirondack Almanack has a great post on how Colorado is different from the Adirondacks.
Dear Editor:
The Lake George Association is concerned about the decision made by the Department of Environmental Conservation to discontinue retrieving garbage from collection centers on the Lake George islands. We urge the DEC to reconsider this decision and ask local citizens who love Lake George to join us in finding a better solution.
Expecting our natural resources to bear the burden of cost cutting is fiscally irresponsible. At the LGA, we believe that the cost of cleaning up this problem will be higher than preventing it from happening in the first place.
Alternative solutions could result from a dialogue with Lake users. The LGA has considerable experience on the Lake and a deep understanding of boating, recreation and water quality. Given the opportunity to discuss the situation with the DEC, we could help find a solution that continues to protect Lake George and the water we use for drinking, swimming, fishing and boating.
While the “carry in – carry out” policy is ideal in theory, trash finds its way into the Lake regardless of policies. One isolated example: after Log Bay Day 2010, the LGA hauled away several large bags of trash.
Even conscientious Lake users need a convenient way to dispose of trash. It is considerably easier to empty trash at a central collection point than to clean up wind-blown garbage, especially when it has left an island and gone on to desecrate the Lake.
To allow trash to enter Lake George — after generations of exemplary stewardship by DEC staff — would be shameful.
Sincerely,
C. Walter Lender
Executive Director
Lake George Association
Scuba divers working for Lycott Environmental install barriers over a small milfoil bed off of Huletts.
This morning I took a short kayak ride out to some scuba divers who I spotted in the bay. It turns out they work for Lycott Environmental, a company that has been hired by the Lake George Park Commission to work on eradicating Eurasian water milfoil from the lake.
Eurasian water milfoil was accidently introduced to North America from Europe and spread westward into inland lakes primarily by boats and also by waterbirds. It is an invasive species in Lake George.
This particular bed had been worked on last year and has responded well.
“Last year we put a barrier down and this year almost all the milfoil is gone,” said one of the workers. “We see a little growth around the edges, but we hand harvested last week and now we’re adding some more barriers. We really see an improvement in this particular bed from last year.”
Here is a picture of a strand of milfoil, for those unfamiliar with what it looks like.
Thank you Lycott Environmental and Lake George Park Commission.
Post Star Editorial: No Reason to Delay Cell Tower
The Post Star Editorial Board released an editorial dedicated to the Huletts Fire Department’s application for a cell tower.
Garbage Collection on Lake George Islands to End
The Adirondack Almanack spotlights a major change in DEC policy.
Union Rejects Washington County Furlough Plan
A vote by the highway department union is a precursor to less state aid? Read the Post Star piece.
Sometimes You Need a Good Laugh: But Not This Much
An interesting article on Wikipedia about death by laughter. What a way to go!
Renowned Lake Scientist – Ken Wagner – to Speak at LGA 125th Annual Meeting
The Lake George Association is finalizing plans for its historic 125th Annual Meeting, scheduled for Friday, August 20 at 10 am at the Lake George Club. The public is invited to attend and the meeting is free; an optional lunch afterwards is $21 per person. Reservations are required.
Ken Wagner, Ph.D. will be the keynote speaker. Ken is editor in chief of Lake and Reservoir Management, the international journal of the North American Lake Management Society. For decades, Ken has played a valuable role in environmental research conducted on Lake George, working with the Lake George Association and other lake organizations. He is owner of Water Resource Services, a lake management consulting firm. Ken has worked for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and has 25 years of experience with northeastern consulting firms, working on a variety of water resources assessment and management projects. Ken holds a B.A. in environmental biology from Dartmouth College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in natural resource management from Cornell University.
The public will also have the opportunity to learn more about the environmental status of Lake George, and to meet others with a passion for its protection. Updates on many environmental initiatives taking place around the Lake will be given. Executive Director Walt Lender will give an update on the West Brook Conservation Initiative, the most important lake saving project in the LGA’s 125-year history. Randy Rath, LGA project manager, will provide summaries on the LGA’s other lake saving projects, such as those at English Brook, Hague and Finkle Brook deltas, Indian Brook, and the town of Putnam. Emily DeBolt will speak on the LGA’s educational and outreach initiatives, as well as New York State’s new phosphorus law, and the status of wall lettuce, a new invasive species growing in the watershed. Emily will also provide results from the work of the LGA Lake Stewards and from the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program.
New members, and those who care about the lake and would like to learn more about protecting it, are welcome to attend the meeting to meet the board of directors, staff, volunteers and other members. Members will be voting on new directors for the organization: Thomas Jarrett and Salim Amersi, as well as returning directors Holly de Buys, William Dutcher and John Schaninger.
NYS Senate and Assembly Adopt Resolution
The New York State Legislature adopted a joint resolution commemorating the LGA’s 125th Anniversary in April of this year. The resolution recognized the LGA’s “long unyielding commitment to excellence,” and commended the “efforts of thousands of LGA members who, over the years, have increased the public’s awareness and understanding of Lake issues and have actively worked to preserve the purity of the Lake George waters for future generations to come.” The resolution also recognized many of the organization’s significant accomplishments throughout its history, including:
The LGA was “the first to re-stock the Lake with popular fish species.”
The LGA was “the first to provide a non-point source pollution program for the Lake.”
The LGA was “the first to establish a buoy system in the Lake.”
The LGA “advanced proactive management by government to protect the Lake’s water quality and influenced state leaders … to undertake the first series of technical studies of the Lake,” and later “ensured that effective storm water controls and wastewater treatment systems were included in development plans.”
The LGA worked toward “protecting the interests of dock owners, shoreline property owners and those who navigated the lake” by advocating for “a long-awaited and fought for verdict by the New York State Supreme court regarding lake levels, requiring a commission to supervise maintenance of water levels between 4.0 and 2.5 feet at the Roger’s Rock gauge between June 1 and Oct. 1.”
The LGA has “overseen over 100-plus lake-saving projects to stabilize eroding stream banks and shorelines, reclaim ponds for sediment retention, enhance wetlands, install roadside storm water catchments, and dredge deltas.”
The LGA has “expanded its programming to include active and participatory educational programs for lake users, including but not limited to, a Floating Classroom, serving 1,000 students and visitors each year.”
Warren County Declares August LGA Month
The Warren County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation naming the month of August “Lake George Association Month.” The proclamation recognized that “the members of the Lake George Association have worked together to protect, conserve and improve the beauty and quality of the Lake George Basin for 125 years.”
Commemorative Postal Cancellation
A special postal cancellation stamp has been designed to commemorate the historic occasion of the LGA’s 125th annual meeting. On the day of the meeting, August 20, all post offices around the Lake will hand stamp any mail posted on that day upon request. Commemorative caches will also be available in limited quantities.
Stewart’s Ice Cream Flavor
Area Stewart’s Shops have renamed the store’s Birthday Cake ice cream flavor in honor of the LGA for the month of August.
On Saturday, August 14 at 9:30am at the Huletts Landing Fire House, The Federation of Huletts Landing is presenting Joseph W. Zarzynski and a discussion about his documentary called “Wooden Bones: The Sunken Fleet of 1758”. Please see the attached press release and website (www.woodenbones.com) If you haven’t had a chance to get a copy of this DVD, you’ll want to!
Title: Anatomy of an Archaeology Documentary–“Wooden Bones: The Sunken Fleet of 1758”
Presenter: Joseph W. Zarzynski, Underwater Archaeologist (Bateaux Below, Inc.)
NEWS RELEASE—For Immediate Release
Lake George, NY Documentary Wins Film Festival Maritime Heritage Award
Bateaux Below, Inc., a not-for-profit group that studies historic shipwrecks in Lake George, NY, has announced that Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival in Savannah, Georgia has chosen “Wooden Bones—The Sunken Fleet of 1758” as one of their official film festival selections. Furthermore, the Lake George-related documentary is one of two joint winners of the film festival’s prestigious “Maritime Heritage Category” award. “Wooden Bones—The Sunken Fleet of 1758” is a 58 min. long DVD documentary (www.woodenbones.com), a Pepe Productions (Glens Falls, NY) and Bateaux Below (Wilton, NY) documentary collaboration. The DVD was released in May 2010. The Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival is September 17-19 at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The NOAA-sponsored film festival reports that 90 films were submitted and only 33 were selected for showing.
“Wooden Bones” examines Lake George’s Sunken Fleet of 1758 when the British deliberately sank over 260 warships to protect them over the winter of 1758-1759 from their enemy, the French. The documentary investigates the history and underwater archaeological study of the lake’s sunken bateau-class warships, a sunken 1960 sub built to photograph British shipwrecks, and a 1758-constructed military dock found in Lake George’s shallows. Glens Falls, NY documentary filmmaker Peter Pepe directed the DVD and underwater archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski of Wilton, NY wrote it. The award-winning documentary was four years in production. For more information on the documentary and to view the trailer, consult the web site: www.woodenbones.com
NY State Runs Out of Cash
The NY Post reports on what the state Comptroller says.
Alan Jackson to Appear in Glens Falls
Country artist Alan Jackson is booked to appear at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Sept. 11, says the Post Star.
You Knew Your National Grid Bills Were High
The Adirondack Almanack does a great investigative piece on what the Public Service Commission auditors found.
YMCA Camp on Lake George Proposes Dock for Disabled
See some great drawings of what Camp Chingachgook in Fort Ann is proposing in the Wash Blog.
Underwater Electric Cable from Canada to NY City Moving Forward
The Bottom Line Blog talks about the proposed electric cable down the Hudson.