Many times people ask; “What goes on when the summer crowds aren’t around?” Well the short answer is: work goes on all the time. Here the sunny weather allowed a dock to be repaired.
Click on picture to see full-scale.
Seagull Nest on Lake George
Some seagulls with some recently hatched chicks. Seen between Huletts and Bolton.
Click image to see larger picture.
2013 Huletts Directory Now Available
The 2013 Huletts Directory is now available. Get the latest up-to-date addresses, phone numbers and PO Boxes of your Huletts neighbors.
Cost: $10.00
Proceeds go to the Women’s Guild of the Mountain Grove Memorial Church and the Chapel of the Assumption.
Call: Louise Davidson – 499-2427
or Kathleen or Marguerite Fredrick – 499-2867
Celebrate Father’s Day with the Firemen
Pot Luck Hors d’oeuvres & Cocktails
June 16th – Father’s Day
at the
Huletts Fire House
2 pm – 4 pm
For more info contact:
Carl Sobeck
499-0194
Boats Can Now Be Registered Online with LGPC
The Lake George Park Commission has recently
added the option to register your boat online through the Commission website. This is an effort to make it easier and more convenient for boaters to register and pay for their sticker, saving time and effort for everyone involved.
Here is the direct link, which I will also add to the left sidebar.
Walter Lanzelin Memorial Service
There will be a Memorial Service for Walter Joseph Lanzelin on Saturday, June 29, 2013, at noon at the Mountain Grove Memorial Church in Huletts for family and friends.
After the service the family welcomes all those who would like to join them for a light lunch at the Huletts Landing Marina recreation area if weather permits. If the weather is inclement, the gathering will be at the Washington County Beach Pavilion.
Washington County To Reconsider Invasive Species Ban
This Wednesday (June 5th) at 10:00 a.m., the Washington County Government Operations Committee has scheduled a special meeting to reconsider a local law that would make the transport of aquatic invasive species illegal within Washington county.
The County Board of Supervisors last month narrowly defeated the law that would have imposed fines on those who failed to remove visible aquatic species from their boat or trailer. Eight supervisors voted in favor and eight voted against the proposed law. Because Washington county uses a weighted voting system based on population in each town, the final margin was 2083 against to 2011 for the proposed law.
I spoke to Dresden Supervisor Bob Banks who sponsored the resolution and voted for the proposed law. He was disappointed that it did not pass but was hopeful that it would be revisited.
Those opposed to the law were concerned about unintended consequences and how the environmental assessment was done.
The Post Star reported on the original vote here.
The special meeting scheduled for June 5th is to revisit the issues involved.
Sights from Memorial Day
Now that the clouds have gone away, here are some shots from Memorial Day.
Dresden Volunteer Fire Company Update
I received the letter below from Alan Bascue, Fire Chief of the Dresden Volunteer Fire Company.
If you can make it, their annual chicken barbecue is Saturday, June 1st.
Click on image to read full-scale.
School District Vote Results
Yesterday’s voting for a member of the school board resulted in Dresden’s Frank Barber being elected with 137 votes.
The budget for the 2013-2014 school year passed with 137 “yes” votes and 24 “no” votes.
There were 164 total voters and 1 absentee ballot.
Volunteer Fire Department News
If you’re in Huletts for the weekend, stop by the firehouse on Saturday May 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a family book fair. Proceeds benefit the fire department for safety equipment.
Judy Smith is on the eve of completing the long grueling training as our certified EMT.
Another mutual aid drill with Whitehall to be scheduled in the near future.
News submitted by Gail Smith
Clemons Post Office Now Open Only 2 Hours Per Day
The Clemons Post Office.
Somehow I missed this, but the Clemons Post Office went to a two hour per day schedule in March 2013. It is now open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily.
While this is a big change for our neighbors in Clemons at least the post office remains open. It had been scheduled to close permanently but it won a reprieve from the Postal Service.
These new hours will be the norm for Clemons going forward.
School Budget & Board Vote: Tuesday
The vote on the school budget and the one open seat on the school board takes place from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21st.
Interview with Dresden’s Frank Barber, School Board Candidate
This year there is one open seat on the Board of Education. Dresden’s Frank Barber is the only candidate running for this seat. I contacted Mr. Barber and below are his answers to my questions. These questions are entirely my own and hopefully you will get a better sense of who the candidate is after reading his answers.
Could you please tell us about yourself and why you are running for the school board?
I am a life-long resident of Dresden, NY. My wife and I have two sons, both of whom attend the Whitehall High School.
I am currently employed as VP of Global Sales for Ames Goldsmith Corporation, in Glens Falls, NY. I have been with the company for more than 15 years now; on July 1st I will assume the position of President and CEO. I am running for a seat on the board mainly because I wanted to give something back to the community. In addition, I have two sons attending the district and I want to ensure that they are getting the best education possible with the financial resources that are available to the district.
Most people look back fondly on some aspects of their high-school education. Could you tell us what your favorite book from high school was? Why was it your favorite book and should it be required reading today?
It would be difficult for me to identify one favorite book, I have always enjoyed the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and I could suggest that many of his works might be a favorite. As for required reading today, I am not an educator, but his works are classics and I suspect they would be good reading in today’s classroom.
The Whitehall school district’s enrollment has declined 143 students between the 2004-2005 and the 2011-2012 school years. When should the taxpayers expect that this declining enrollment will translate into lower property taxes?
The declining enrollment at our school is of concern to me, it is not unique to the Whitehall district, but rather is indicative of a declining and aging population in our area. My concern with the decline is that this requires the fixed costs of the district to be spread across a smaller student enrollment, thereby increasing the cost per student enrolled. As for when this decline will translate to lower property taxes, I think there are variables beyond enrollment that must be taken into account before a conclusion can be drawn on lowering property taxes within the district. My wife and I own property in both Dresden and Whitehall and therefore I have a vested interest in keeping taxes in check.
The job market today is a highly competitive one. Should the school district be doing something that it is not already doing or should it be offering additional classes to see that its graduates have the skills and education necessary for success?
As I am not yet on the board I cannot knowledgeably comment on the classes offered, excepting of course those that are offered to my sons. From a parent’s perspective, I believe that they are receiving a quality education. As for additional classes, I would like to see more focus on technology and computer sciences at the high school level. Computers are such a necessary part of life today, we need to ensure that our students are receiving the appropriate instruction in this field.
I’m sure you wouldn’t be running for the school board if you didn’t care about children. After your term is concluded, what would you like to have accomplished for the residents of the district?
At the close of my term, I would like to know that I worked to keep the district’s property taxes in check, while at the same time maximizing the education that our students are receiving.
Editors Note:
I would like thank Mr. Barber for his answers to my questions..