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Stefanik Makes Formal Request for Amtrak’s Timeline to Reopen Adirondack Line

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik sent a letter to Chief Executive Officer Stephen J. Gardner formally calling on Amtrak to commit to a timeline for fully reopening the Adirondack line.

“I write to you today again urging Amtrak to publicly commit to a timeline for reopening full rail operations on the Adirondack line. The Adirondack line runs through the 21st Congressional District of New York has been closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. To this point, Amtrak has failed to provide a specific date or details indicating when it will resume service along the Adirondack line. The Adirondack line is a significant economic driver for Upstate New York and the North Country. The continued delays to resume service are causing significant harm to citizens throughout New York State and the North Country, many of whom rely on passenger rail service for critical transportation,” Stefanik wrote. Read the full letter here.

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Ernest ‘Tim’ Soothcage, Rest in Peace


I’m very sorry to report that Ernest ‘Tim’ Soothcage, 83, passed away on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 after a long illness.

‘Tim’ as he was known to many, did a lot of work in Huletts Landing in the 1980’s and 1990’s. He was an extraordinary contractor and an expert dock builder. I had many conversations with him where he explained how a dock can shift in the winter, and how a dock should be properly constructed. He had extremely high standards and everything he built for us, is working well. He worked for many people in Huletts Landing and had a wonderful laugh. He will be missed. Our condolences go out to his family.

He and his brothers ran Soothcage Brothers Construction and Arctic Cat Sales and Service. If you were fortunate enough to have work done by Tim, you had quality work done that was built to last. He expected perfection in anything he did.

In his retirement, he very much enjoyed his monthly breakfast get-together with his nephew Don Lee, and long-time friends William Pike, Ted Plude and Nick Sabo (deceased).

He was predeceased by his mother Hazel Rathbun and his father Leslie Soothcage and also his brothers Albert and Leslie Soothcage.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Janice; his daughter Tammy Kirshon (Steve), grandchildren Christopher (Amanda) and Carolyn Pepper (Scott) and great-grandson Miles; his daughter Terry Brooks and grandsons Derek and Ryan, his daughter Tonya Dudley (Chris) and grandchildren Olivia, Logan and Christopher Jr. (Courtney) and great-grandson Christopher III.

The family will conduct a graveside service in the spring. Tim’s arrangements are under the care of the Jillson Funeral Home, Inc. Online condolences may be made at jillsonfuneralhomes.com

“May God support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest and peace at the last.”

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Notice of the Start of Construction for Segments 1 & 2 of the Champlain Hudson Power Express Project (through Dresden)


The Champlain Hudson Power Express Project will run down route 22 through the Town of Dresden.

On or about November 18, 2022, construction activities for certain parts of Segments 1 and 2 of the Champlain Hudson Power Express Project (“CHPE”) are anticipated to begin. The Construction Zone for Segments 1 and 2 consist of a 17.6-mile overland cable route running from the western shore of Lake Champlain in the Town of Putnam to the Canadian Pacific (“CP”) Railroad right-of-way (“ROW”) in the Village of Whitehall. This underground transmission line segment runs through the Towns of Putnam, Dresden and Whitehall, as well as the Village of Whitehall, via County Route 3, Lake Road, New York State Route 22 and Bellamy Street to the CP Railroad ROW, as shown on the enclosed map. The initial construction work will commence at the Project’s construction laydown area located off of Ryder Road in Whitehall.

On October 13, 2022, the New York State Public Service Commission approved CHPE’s Environmental Management & Construction Plan (“EM&CP”) for Segments 1 and 2 of the Project. Upon receipt of a Notice to Proceed with Construction letter sent by the New York State Department of Public Service’s Office of Electric, Gas and Water, CHPE will be authorized to commence construction activities for the approved Segments.

CHPE has established a toll-free number for questions regarding the Project, including a complaint resolution plan for issues arising during construction: 1-800-991-CHPE (2473).

Questions or requests for further information can be directed to: publicoutreach@chpexpress.com or by mail to Molly Hollister, WSP USA, One Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, New York 10119. Facility construction falls under the jurisdiction of the Commission, which is responsible for enforcing compliance with environmental and construction conditions, and which may be contacted through Matthew Smith, Office of Electric, Gas and Water, New York State Department of Public Service, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223, via telephone at (518)474-8702
or email at matthew.smith@dps.ny.gov.

Details of the planned work locations, including construction drawings showing in detail the approved Segments, are available on the Project website at: https://chpexpress.com/overviewof-public-documents/environmental-management-construction-plan/. The full Commission docket for the Project can be accessed via the Commission’s website at:
http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterCaseNo=10-T0139.

Paper copies of the EM&CP for Segments 1 and 2 will be available for viewing at the following local document repositories: Black Watch Memorial Library, 99 Montcalm St., Ticonderoga, NY 12883; Whitehall Free Library, 12 Williams Street, Whitehall, NY 12887; Dresden Town Hall, 1 Lillians Way, Clemons, NY 12819; and Putnam Town Hall, 14 Putnam Center Rd, Putnam Station, NY 12861.

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Why Celebrate Advent?


Advent is a season of preparation that has a twofold purpose. Advent begins with Evening Prayer I of the Sunday falling on or closest to 30 November and ends before evening prayer I of Christmas. We prepare ourselves not only for the coming joy of our celebration of the birth of the Christ child; we also prepare ourselves for the Second Coming of Christ.

For Catholics, Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year. We begin with Advent, awaiting the birth of Christ, then celebrate the Christmas Octave and season, Epiphany, and then soon begins Lent, in preparation for Easter. Then, after the Easter season ends with Pentecost, we have the bulk of Ordinary Time until the end of the liturgical year, and Advent again.

The readings at Mass reflect these times in the life of Christ. They take us through his birth, baptism, ministry, Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Many Christian denominations celebrate Advent, perhaps in ways a little different from those of us who observe a liturgical calendar and cycle. But the focus, the point, is to prepare for the coming of Jesus.

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/advent-rediscovered-by-southern-baptists/

https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/the-beautiful-meaning-and-purpose-of-advent.html

We will have posts for each Sunday of Advent, beginning this weekend.

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Happy Thanksgiving

With great gratitude and appreciation, we would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Thank you for contributing to our success this year and we look forward to working with everyone in the future. As you prepare to gather with loved ones, may you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

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Seen on the Big Screen at Citi Field


Congratulations to Adeline (right) who worked at the Huletts Landing Soda Fountain in 2022. Her school band performed recently at Citi Field and her saxophone performance was captured on the Big Screen!!

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Joseph R. Rota, R.I.P.

I am sorry to report that Joseph R. Rota, 89, the former Town Supervisor of Dresden, passed away on September 5, 2022. Mr. Rota served numerous terms as the Town Supervisor of Dresden during the 1980’s and was instrumental in the creation of the Town Sewer District #1 in Huletts Landing.

In addition to serving as Dresden Town Supervisor, Mr. Rota also served many years as Executive Director of the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board. Demonstrating the importance of every vote, he won his first election as Dresden Supervisor by one vote.

On a personal note, I found Mr. Rota to always be fair and an extremely hard worker. I once delivered documents to him as he boarded a train to leave on vacation. A vocal defender for private property rights, he was instrumental in the formation of the first Huletts Sewer District, working with many local citizens, elected state officials and different state agencies to guide the project through a myriad of obstacles.

Our condolences go out his family.

His full obituary and online condolences may be found here: www.carletonfuneralhome.net/joseph-thomas-rota/

“May God support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest and peace at the last.”

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Pictures from the HLVFC 2022 Community Day

Many thanks to the members and supporters of the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company who made this year’s community day a great success. The volunteers brought out the fire company’s trucks and new fire boat for a drill and demonstration of their capabilities on August 28, 2022.






Many thanks to the great individuals who protect our community!

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Update: Injured Boater Airlifted from Golf Course

Update 8/10/2022
Huletts Landing V.F.C was dispatched to a possible drowning across from 987 County Route 6 at approximately 4 pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Deputy Chief Leghorn arrived to find a 25 yr old male on the shore of the lake with a serious head injury.

Victim received injury after diving off boat and striking his head on a rock in the water. He was helped to shore by friends who were with him at the time of the accident.

Emergency Medical care was given by members of Huletts Landing Vol. Fire Co., Skeensborough Ambulance and a nurse and pediatric doctor who were in the area at the time of the accident.

The patient was flown by Lifenet helicopter to Albany Medical center. Huletts Landing Firefighters set up and coordinated the Landing Zone.

At approximately 4:00 pm on Tuesday, August 9th, an injured boater was airlifted for medical attention from the Huletts golf course. The Huletts Landing Volunteer fire department responded and coordinated the airlift for the injured boater.