News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
I’ve never considered the Huletts Current a “weather site” but sometimes the weather gets so extreme in Huletts, it makes a good post. Saturday’s morning temperate (at 7:45 am) was -10 degrees.
Sometimes our summer visitors don’t believe how cold it can get in the winter. So here’s proof.
High Voltage Cable Inspector: Shock Video
Don’t want to be electrocuted? Make sure you’re not grounded. This is a great video which shows the life of a high voltage cable inspector. You’ll have to click the link because embedding is disabled.
Road Salt Toxic to Adirondacks
Looks like there is more evidence of the harmful environmental effects of road salt, the Adirondack Almanack reports. Once again, true environmental protection has nothing to do with taking people’s private property rights away.
Court Rules Class Action Against Washington County Can Move Forward
The Post Star reports on a potential liability for Washington County.
Have a Good Outdoor Story? Tell the DEC
The Adirondack Almanack reports on a fun contest.
Students at Whitehall High School and Ticonderoga Middle School are raising salmon, through a new environmental education program presented by the Lake George Association (LGA) called “Salmon in the Classroom”.
Kristen Rohne, the LGA’s watershed educator, visited the schools to help set up a 25 gallon tank, chiller and pump, along with testing materials and fish food. Salmon eggs were provided at no cost by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
This winter the students will raise the salmon from eggs to fingerlings. They’ll learn to monitor tank water quality, study stream habitats, and perform stream-monitoring studies to find the most suitable place to release the salmon in the spring. “Our goal is to foster a conservation ethic in the students, while increasing their knowledge of fish lifecycles, water quality, aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity,” said Ms. Rohne. “By working hands-on with the salmon, we believe the students will gain a greater appreciation for water resources and will be inspired to sustain and protect our natural environment,” she said.
This year’s program was funded by a grant the LGA received from the International Paper Foundation. The Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board and the Adirondack Resource Conservation and Development Council are partners in the project. Trout Unlimited, a national non-profit organization with more than 400 chapters, designed the Salmon in the Classroom program.
The Lake George Association has published its 2011 Ice Recreation Safety Tips. People who plan to venture out on Lake George ice this winter are urged to follow these tips. Pressure ridges and areas of weak ice present dangerous hazards to those unfamiliar with the Lake.
According to Walt Lender, LGA’s executive director, “Most of the winter emergencies on the Lake are due to complacency. Before heading out, we urge everyone to follow these safety guidelines.”
ICE SAFETY TIPS TO LIVE BY
Always check the ice before you go out on it. Use an ice auger, ice pick, spud bar or a cordless drill to make holes. New, clear, bluish-black ice is stronger than ice that is white or bubble-filled.
Ice does not form uniformly. If ice along the shore is cracked, stay off. Lake George has sub-surface currents that also make the thickness of the ice variable.
Avoid ice that is honeycombed or piled up.
Ice is thinner near running water. Avoid shoreline areas near stream channels or ice eaters on docks.
Stay away from shoals and other underwater hazards as the ice above them is thinner.
Once on the ice, do not congregate in large groups, build a fire, or drive a large vehicle out on the ice.
When snowmobiling at night, don’t “out-drive” your headlight. Give yourself time to spot and avoid open water, pressure ridges and patches of weak ice.
Do not drink. Alcohol increases your chances for hypothermia, impairs your judgment and slows your reaction time.
What to bring:
– Another person. Never go out on the ice alone. Keep a good distance apart as you move about.
– Dress in layers, with a hat and gloves. Wool and fleece are great insulators. Wear a wind- and water-proof outer layer. Top it all off with a Personal Flotation Device.
– A length of rope, a pair of ice picks, or a pair of screwdrivers tied together with a few feet of strong cord. You can use these to pull yourself up and onto the ice.
– Your cell phone in case of emergency.
– A sled (instead of a backpack) if you are bringing along heavy gear. (A sled will help to distribute the weight more evenly across the ice.)
If you fall through:
– Try not to panic.The cold shock that makes you hyperventilate will subside within 1-3 minutes. Get your breathing under control and stay above water. You are more likely to die from drowning than hypothermia.
– Remove any extraneous objects that will weigh you down. (skis, snowmobile helmet, skates, etc.)
– Try to get out from the direction that you came in. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface of the ice.
– Begin kicking your feet to get your body horizontal. Then, pull yourself along the ice until you are out of the hole. Be slow and deliberate to conserve your strength and body heat.
– If the ice breaks, move forward and try again.
– Once you are lying on the ice, DO NOT stand up. Roll away from the hole, then crawl following your footsteps back toward shore. Don’t stand until the hole is well behind you. You want to distribute your weight evenly over a wide area to prevent going through again.
– If you can’t pull yourself out within 10 minutes from the time that you went in, cease all attempts. At this point, you need to extend the time period in which someone else could rescue you by conserving body heat. The body loses heat much faster in water than it does in air, so get as much of your body out of the water as possible. Keep your forearms flat and still on the ice. Hopefully, your clothing will freeze to the ice, possibly preventing you from going under, even if you become unconscious. It is possible to survive for up to two hours before succumbing to hypothermia. In other words, if you stay composed and keep above water, you have almost a two-hour window of opportunity to be rescued.
If someone else falls through:
– If you are on the ice, DO NOT run up to the hole.
– If you are on shore, DO NOT run onto the ice.
– Try to keep the victim calm.
– Call 911.
– Look for people nearby who can help.
– Use an item on shore to throw or extend to the victim that will allow you to pull them out of the water. (Rope, ladder, branch, extension cord, skis, jumper cable, etc.) You can also form a human chain with people lying flat on the ice to distribute the weight as evenly as possible.
– Once the victim is safely on shore, they may seem to be in relatively good condition. However, a potentially fatal condition called “after drop” can occur soon afterward. Cold blood that has been pooled in the body’s extremities starts to circulate again as the body warms up. At this point, the body begins to shiver violently in an attempt to raise the temperature again.
– Never rub the victim’s arms, hands, legs or feet, as this could cause or exacerbate the “after drop.”
– Never give the victim alcohol or caffeine. They restrict blood vessels and slow circulation.
– If possible, exchange wet clothes for dry clothes, wrap the victim in a blanket and get the victim out of the elements.
The Lake George Association would also like to remind the public to remember to remove any debris or garbage created out on the Lake ice, as once the ice melts, it will sink into the water.
When I posted the top story for Huletts in 2010 last week, I mentioned that I had spoken to Adirondack Park Agency staff who gave me an update on the two competing cell tower proposals.
Today I received this notice in the mail. While it is dated November 10, 2010, I just received it today.
It is an “Application Completed Notice” for the Independent Towers (Vanderplaat) proposal. It gives a good, technical description of that proposed project.
While I’ve been blogging here on the Huletts Current I’ve gotten in the habit of posting what I consider to be the top news story of Huletts Landing from the past year.
This is entirely my own opinion and while others may disagree, I’ve found it to be a fun exercise which a few have told me they enjoy.
So for 2010, the Huletts Current declares the top story from Huletts Landing to be ………..
The dueling cell phone tower proposals.
In one corner we have the AT&T / New Cingular Wireless proposal (otherwise known as the firehouse proposal), which has now been under review by the Adirondack Park Agency since December 28, 2009.
The Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company proposed siting a cell tower on its property in late December 2009.
The project is briefly described as follows: “installation of a 100 foot stealth monopole with three flush mounted antenna centered at 84 feet in height with room for two additional carriers to be located below. The monopole will be installed behind the new firehouse with equipment to be located inside the firehouse”.
In the other corner, we have the Independent Towers proposal (otherwise known as the VanderPlaat proposal), which has recently been deemed complete by the APA. The public comment period expired on December 2, 2010. (Which I just became aware of this past week because the APA never sent me a notice.) This is usually the last step before a permit is issued.
This would be for a 90 foot tall monopole which would be located back from the road on a 60 ft by 60 ft wooded area. It also would have room for a total of three carriers.
In a conversation I had with APA staff today, this is the current status of the two proposals. After performing a “balloon test” on both sites, (this is where a balloon is floated at the approximate height of the proposed tower), the conclusive evidence is that the Independent Towers (VanderPlaat) site will have a lower visual impact and have a greater signal range. AT&T is suspending their application until a decision is finalized on the Independent Towers application. At this time, the APA has determined that the Independent Towers application is complete. A final decision is expected by the first week in February.
So no matter where you stand on the issue of a cell phone tower or which proposal you favor, the Huletts Current deems this the biggest story of Huletts Landing from 2010.
Can you hear me now? Maybe in 2011?????
The Lake George Park Commission released a press release this week, spotlighting the success they have had in fighting the spread of Milfoil. Here are some of the highlights:
A program to manage Eurasian Watermilfoil in Lake George, spearheaded by the Lake George Park Commission, eliminated more than 670,000 plants in 2010. 93% of the 183 sites where nuisance milfoil has ever been found in the Lake were clear of all milfoil at the conclusion of 2010.
The 2010 results are summarized in a report that has been posted to the Commission’s website www.lgpc.state.ny.us. The results indicate that the number of dense beds requiring future management has been steadily reduced in recent years. In 2010, for the first time, more bottom barriers were removed than added indicating that the program has reached a significant level of control.
The Lake George Park Commission has been the lead agency for the management effort for 25 years providing most of the funding from annual user fees paid by local boat and dock owners. Since 2006, State Senator Elizabeth Little has secured annual allocations of State funds from an invasive species program established that year. “It takes a tremendous effort to achieve a result like this,” said Senator Betty Little. “I’m pleased to have been able to play a small role in securing funding. The battle continues, but this level of success has implications beyond Lake George as other communities and organizations will no doubt look here to learn how to successfully fight invasive species that threaten water bodies throughout the state.”
Invasive species are now generally recognized as the most significant threat to the Lake. The Lake’s superior water quality, the signature characteristic for which Lake George is world renown, is in large part a function of complex biological interrelationships. Invasive species have the potential to alter these relationships, the web of life in the Lake, and thereby destroy the Lake’s most attractive qualities.
NY Times: Cuomo Wants to Cap Property Taxes
The NY Times has a good analysis of Andrew Cuomo’s tax cap plan with an illustration that shows how school spending is the contributing factor.
How Much is The Trash Plant Worth?
The Post Star looks at how much the Hudson Falls Trash plant could fetch the county.
Man Made Wetlands Coming
The Post Star reports that demolition began at Gaslight Village this week.
Bloomberg Glad He Saddled State with OTB
The NY Post reports that Mayor Bloomberg of NY City is happy he pawned OTB off on the state.
Frank Lasch of Kattskill Bay, NY has joined the board of the Lake George Association.
Frank Lasch of Kattskill Bay and Loudonville, NY has been appointed to the board of directors of the Lake George Association. He has traveled extensively and has yet to find a more beautiful lake, or one so worthy of protection, he said.
After discharge from the US Navy in 1960, Frank joined the Albany law firm of DeGraff, Foy, where he served as a partner until his retirement in April of 2010. While in the navy, Frank served aboard two destroyer ships: the USS Robert Wilson and the USS Parsons. As past president of the USS Slater Museum in Albany, Frank helped restore the ship to her former glory. The USS Slater, a WWII destroyer and convoy ship, and the only one of her kind remaining, was loaned to the Greek Navy for forty years before returning to Albany.
Frank has also served as president of the Lake George Club and the Fort Orange Club in Albany. He received his law degree from Cornell University Law School.
The English Brook delta in Lake George has grown significantly during the past decade. Seen here is an aerial picture of the delta taken by the LGA in November 2010. (Click the picture to see in full-scale.)
The Lake George Association has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program to help protect the English Brook Watershed on Lake George.
The grant will partially fund the installation of a $48,400 Aqua-Swirl hydrodynamic separator on the east side of Rt. 9N at the Lochlea Estate in the town of Lake George. The system will collect previously untreated stormwater runoff from both the east and west sides of Rt. 9N, as well as the bridge between the two exits at Exit 22 on Interstate 87. The majority of the runoff in the 48-acre watershed will be captured and treated.
Other stormwater solutions requiring a larger footprint were explored but were not possible due to the shallow soil depth and high bedrock found throughout the site. The Aqua-Swirl unit has a small footprint and a suitable location was found near existing stormwater infrastructure. The project is also taking the opportunity to capture untreated stormwater runoff from the west side of the road. By installing some additional infrastructure, stormwater from both sides of the road will be directed to the new unit. The cost of the entire project is estimated at $117,000. In addition to the Lake Champlain Basin Program grant, funding for this project has been secured from the Lake George Watershed Coalition and the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation. The village of Lake George will maintain the structure and clean out the system using the LGA’s Catch Vac.
One of the eight major streams entering Lake George, English Brook has been of high concern to the Association for over a decade. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) lists the brook as sediment impaired, and its delta is one of the largest on the Lake. According to National Urban Runoff Program reports conducted during the 1980s, English Brook has high levels of total phosphorus, chlorides, total suspended sediments, lead and nitrate-nitrogen.
How does an Aqua-Swirl Hydrodynamic Separator work?
Stormwater enters an Aqua-Swirl unit through an inlet pipe, producing a circular flow that makes contaminates settle. A swirl concentrator removes the gross pollutants; a filtration chamber then removes fine sediment and waterborne pollutants. A combination of gravity and hydrodynamic forces encourages solids to drop out of the flow and migrate to the center of the chamber, where velocities will be lower. The Aqua-Swirl also retains water between storms, allowing for settling of inorganic solids when the water is not flowing.
Additional work protecting the English Brook Watershed
Significant work in the English Brook watershed has already been completed by the LGA in conjunction with Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District (WCSWCD). In 2009, design work for a 150-foot-long sediment basin at the mouth of the brook was completed. Permits for this project have been submitted to the appropriate agencies. The basin will be about 6 feet deep with a capacity to trap over 700 cubic yards of material. Further upstream, at the Hubble Reservoir, the LGA hired Galusha Construction to remove a non-functioning sluice gate and valve that were making it difficult to maintain the site. The site was dewatered and almost 600 cubic yards of sediment were removed. The LGA acquired funding for both projects through grants from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation and the New York State Department of State and the Environmental Protection Fund.
Once this important upland work is completed, the culminating step is to remove the sediment that has built up in the delta over the course of generations. The nutrient-rich sediment in deltas supports invasive plant growth, hampers fish spawning, and harbors nuisance waterfowl. By removing the delta, safe navigation is restored, the health of the Lake’s fisheries improves, the Lake returns to its original bottom, and property values are retained.
Young campers enjoy Floating Battery Island, one of the campsites in the Narrows Group of Lake George.
Due in large part to public pressure and efforts made by the Lake George Association, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reversed an earlier decision to discontinue trash collection centers for the Lake George islands in 2011.
The DEC has decided to raise campers’ fees to offset the costs of operating the trash collection centers. In 2011, in-state campers will pay $28 per night and out-of-state campers will pay $33. Rates in 2010 were $25 a night for all campers. These new rates and the reversed decision are not yet reflected on DEC or camp reservation websites.
Earlier this summer the DEC announced that, beginning in the 2011 season, it would no longer provide trash removal services for people camping or picnicking on the Lake George islands. Due to state budget problems, the DEC announced it would be implementing a “carry in, carry out” policy for the islands. At the time, DEC spokespersons said that the decision was final and non-negotiable.
The LGA responded immediately, with Executive Director Walt Lender issuing a letter to DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. In that letter, and corresponding letters to the editors of local newspapers, Lender encouraged the DEC to consider alternatives and to meet face to face with Association members, local elected officials, and other local stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the history and unique local situation regarding these campers and campsites. With pressure mounting from State Senator Betty Little, Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward, local officials and other groups, the DEC agreed to meet.
The decision deeply concerned the LGA, as trash left behind at campsites, floating in the water, or piling up at lakeside marinas, can be highly detrimental to both the lake’s water quality and to its beauty. Buck Bryan, LGA past president, in an interview with Albany’s Times Union, shared his memories of what it was like before the state started garbage collection on the lake in 1955, and it wasn’t pretty. There was garbage all around on the sites, he said. Marina owners and other shoreline business owners are also well aware of the severe problems that occur at their businesses when state garbage collection is inadequate: garbage overspills from their small private containers.
“The solution really came out of the meeting that Senator Little hosted in Bolton,” said Walt Lender. “Then Betty and Assemblywoman Sayward went back to Albany and did some heavy lifting. We’re very pleased that the service will continue, but we hope campers will plan accordingly and keep their trash to a minimum,” he said.
As has been the case for over a decade, 2011 island campers will be required to remove all of their trash and recyclables from their individual campsites, and will have the option to take it by boat to one of three garbage collection centers: Uncas Island, Narrow Island or Long Island. Campers can stay on the islands as long as two weeks. Without these collection centers in place, the responsible camper would either have had to store up to two weeks of garbage at their campsite or on their boat, or they would have had to interrupt their vacations mid-week, boat back to the shoreline, get in their cars, and drive their garbage to a town landfill — not the easiest task for out-of-town campers not familiar with local landfill locations. A more likely scenario would be that more campers would either leave their trash behind at the campsite, where it could easily flow into the Lake, or would dump it in the private dumpster of a marina or other a shoreline business, causing an unfair burden to these businesses.
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.