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Washington County Adopts Budget

Today I heard from Dave Richards, President of the Federation of Huletts Associations, who passed along this information from Bert Windle, President of the Lakes Community of Putnam Homeowners Association.

As you may know, Bert has been a strong taxpayers advocate fighting the good fight to keep our property taxes down for the towns of Putnam and Dresden. Bert was also a co-presenter, along with colleague and LCP member, Gene Frost, who gave a very informative presentation on this very subject to our Huletts neighbors at the last FHA meeting in August.

Washington County adopts budget with spending increase

How they voted
Washington County Board of Supervisors voted 13-4 earlier this month to pass the 2012 county budget. The spending plan was adopted by a weighted vote of 3,460 to 672.

Robert Henke, Argyle: Yes
William Watkins, Cambridge: No
Robert Banks, Dresden: Yes
John Rymph, Easton: Yes
Gayle Hall, Fort Ann: No
Mitchell Suprenant, Fort Edward: Yes
Matthew Hicks, Granville: Yes
Sara Idleman, Greenwich: Yes
Donald Sady, Hampton: Yes
Dana Haff, Hartford: Yes
Brian Campbell, Hebron: Yes
Alan Brown, Jackson: Yes
James Lindsay, Kingsbury: Yes
John LaPointe, Putnam: No
Seth Pitts, Salem: No
Robert Shay, White Creek: Yes
Richard Gordon Jr., Whitehall: Yes
Budget summary

Read the Post Star report here.

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Last Day for a Clemons Postmark will be…


The Postal Service has already decided to close the Clemons post office.

I confirmed with the US Postal Service yesterday that the last day of business for the Clemons post office will be Friday, January 6, 2012.

The Postal Service said they will notifying their customers in Clemons this week.

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Arline Marie Babiak, R.I.P.

I am sad to report that long-time Huletts resident, Arline Babiak, passed away on Monday, November 28th.

Mrs. Babiak was a great person with a wonderful smile, who will be missed by all who knew her.

Here is her obituary published in the Post Star.

Our condolences and prayers go out to her husband, Art, and the rest of her family.

“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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Clemons Post Office to Close


A picture of the Clemons post office.

The United States Postal Service has officially decided to close the Clemons post office. While not completely unexpected, this is indeed a blow to the town of Dresden and the many people who have used the Clemons postal facility for many years. I will be seeking additional confirmation about when the last day of operation will be.

This now leaves the Huletts post office as the only post office in Dresden.

Please remember to continue to buy stamps and your postal products from the Huletts post office while you are away. Pam Stragnell, the Huletts Postmaster, will be happy to send you a “stamps by mail” envelope by which you can order stamps and other postal products from the Huletts post office.

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Bits of Everything

Theodore Reale, Designer & Engineer of Huletts Sewer Systems, R.I.P.

Recently the Times of Ti carried the obituary of Theodore Reale. “Ted” as his friends called him, was the principal of A.P. Reale and Sons, the primary designer and contractor for both of the sewer systems that serve Huletts.

Washington County Leaders Want Budget Lowered

The Post Star reports that the 2012 Washington County budget was struck down by the county Board of Supervisors who didn’t like the 1.97% increase.

Know Every Adirondack Tree? If Not, Buy This

The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is reprinting Forests and Trees of the Adirondack High Peaks Region by the late Edwin H. Ketchledge, the definitive guide to Adirondack trees. What a great gift idea! Read the Adirondack Almanack to learn more.

Zip Line Down French Mountain Spurs Two Towns

When it comes to a new zip line, both Queensbury and Lake George are ready to lead, so says the Post Star.

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Dresden Cuts Town Taxes

On Monday, November 14th, the Dresden town board finalized the 2012 town budget. The amount to be raised by taxes is actually $2,850 less than 2011! This translates into a 0.73% decrease in taxes from 2011 to 2012. The town board should be congratulated for keeping the town budget in excellent shape during these trying fiscal times and actually lowering taxes!

While the general budget increases 2.73%, the highway budget decreases 8.68%, which brings the entire amount needed to be raised by taxes in 2012 to a lower amount than 2011.

In another bit of good news, the total debt of Sewer District #1 is $140,586, down from $185,775 a year ago.

While Whitehall has just passed a 10% tax hike for next year, which thankfully does not effect Dresden residents, our local town board has really worked hard to keep Dresden town taxes low.

You can see a summary of the 2012 town budget here. (Note: the preliminary budget was marked up and what you’re seeing are the final numbers written in by hand.)

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Dresden Election Results: Final

Final Vote Totals Dresden Local Election
Absentee Ballots included.

The Board of Elections finished counting all of the absentee ballots today and this is what I can report. There were 29 absentee ballots sent out, 21 were returned. (Out of the 21 returned, one was a military ballot.)

Below are the final vote totals. This includes the machine vote totals posted last week and the absentee ballots counted today.

Town Supervisor     Votes
Robert Banks*     93
   
Town Board (2 winners)
John Barber*     101
Allen Wilbur*     86
   
Town Clerk
Marci Wilbur*     104
   
Town Highway Superintendent
Richard Hobus*     117
   
Town Justice
Jack Eggleston*     90
   

* Winner

Congratulations to all the winners, may they serve our town well.

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The Best Christmas Party

On Saturday, December 10th at 5 p.m. in the Huletts Landing firehouse all the hearty souls who live in Huletts year round will be holding the annual Christmas Party!

This event has gotten rather large in the past with about 70-80 people attending last year.

So if you would like to stop by, put it on your calendar now, and please contact Luke Smith at:

supvsmith@yahoo.com

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Top Stories From Year Three

To recap the last year, I link to the top 10 posts from the Huletts Current. From “Bits of Everything”, “Sign Time”, “Now For Some History”, and “Saturday Quote”, I hope you’ve enjoyed them all.

Interviews and original news stories, top the list again.

1. Beautiful Day for a Plane Ride
2. Pictures of Albany Chapel Dedicated to Dr. DeRossi
3. Interview with Bob Banks, Town Supervisor
4. Cell Phone Tower Permit Issued
5. Interview with School Board Candidate, George Armstrong
6. Interview with Congressman Chris Gibson
7. Ridge Near Deer’s Leap Collapses
8. LGA’s New Ad Campaign
9. Huletts Milfoil Site Cleared
10. I Got a Funny Feelin

On to the next year and one bit of Huletts history that I’ll break here …. one day in year four!

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Dresden Election Results

Tuesday Machine Vote Totals (Unofficial)
Absentee Ballots still to be counted.

It’s always interesting to me that the larger local newspapers don’t report the actual vote totals in an uncontested local election. They usually just report the winner’s names. However, in a small town like Dresden, one of the most interesting aspects of a local election are the actual vote totals. You can tell the relative strength of the individual candidates by seeing how many of their neighbors did NOT vote for specific candidates.

At the end of the day it has no real significance but if you come from a small town you understand.

Below are the machine vote totals from Tuesday. The absentee ballots will be counted next week and I will update the vote count then.

Town Supervisor     Votes
Robert Banks*     75
   
Town Board (2 winners)
John Barber*     87
Allen Wilbur*     71
   
Town Clerk
Marci Wilbur*     88
   
Town Highway Superintendent
Richard Hobus*     96
   
Town Justice
Jack Eggleston*     75
   

* Winner

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Post Star Spotlights Local School District Taxing

For those that may have missed it, the Post Star did an excellent expose this past weekend on local school districts that regularly overcharge the taxpayers and stick these overcharges in “reserve funds”.

By law, a school district is allowed to keep an unreserved fund balance that equals 4 percent of the upcoming year’s budget. However many districts have kept more than this on hand and simply create other reserve accounts for different items.

The school districts and their supporters do not like it when challenged on this and “jeer” at those who complain about school spending. I have been a critic of this practice for some time and intend to continue.

Recently I’ve heard a new and novel argument from these same people that spending from these different accounts “can’t offset taxes.” What this simplistic argument overlooks is that all school expenditures – regardless of which accounts they come from — come from the taxpayers.

In the case of our local school district, most dollars come from taxpayers residing in Dresden and Whitehall, and a small shrinking amount comes from state aid, which itself comes from guess who? The taxpayers.

If money for a “comfortable” gym and plush building (where enrollment is plummeting like rock) comes from a reserve account which can’t be used to offset taxes, the fact remains that the taxpayers filled that reserve account after the Board overcharged on the yearly budget and put only one option in front of the voters; to put the money in a reserve account. It is a sad shame that the powers that be in the school district continue down this road when it will not assist a student get into a better college or get a job, as businesses continue to flee Whitehall and their oppressive property taxes.

Please read the entire Post Star piece. My favorite line is where Superintendent Ella Collins of the Abraham Wing School in Glens Falls is reported as saying this when questioned about her school districts fund balance of $621,642, which equals 16 percent of the budget.

“Collins said the surplus piled up because of expenses that came in below budget.”

Hmmm ….. must have really come in under budget.

Ms. Collins should talk to the Whitehall School Board, where they have come in under budget for over 10 years and keep raising taxes. But then again, we can’t use the excess to offset taxes.

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AT&T Contributes $5,000 to benefit Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company


NY State Senator Betty Little (R) Queensbury and Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company President Arthur Borin accept $5,000 contribution from Robert Holliday, VP/GM AT&T Upstate NY. AT&T today held a community event in Huletts Landing outlining recent mobile broadband wireless coverage enhancements. (PRNewsFoto/AT&T Inc., Eric Jenks)

HULETTS LANDING, N.Y., Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced mobile devices and applications in New York State, AT&T today announced the activation of eight new cell sites and mobile broadband enhancements in Adirondack Park that will expand coverage for area residents and businesses and enable mobile broadband speeds.

“Expanding and enhancing New York’s mobile broadband network brings home the benefits of broadband access to many consumers in the Adirondacks who are relying more and more on wireless technology to access the Internet,” said State Senator Betty Little, (R) Queensbury, speaking at a community event at the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company in Huletts Landing. “This kind of investment is critical to keeping New York competitive.”

In addition to providing the best mobile broadband experience, AT&T today presented Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company with a contribution of $5,000.00 as part of the company’s commitment to the local community. “Your business is very important to us, but just as important to us are the communities where we live and work everyday,” said Robert Holliday, vice president and general manager Upstate New York, AT&T. “Adirondack Park is a critical part of the Empire State and AT&T will continue to look for new opportunities in the region to be a good neighbor and to provide enhanced wireless services and products as a way to help drive the local economy.”

“Before AT&T made the network improvements, this area of the Adirondacks had little or no cellular service which created concerns from a convenience and safety standpoint,” said Arthur Borin, President Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company. “AT&T’s commitment to the network in our area has been a huge boost for local residents, our economy and tourists visiting the region year-round. We commend AT&T for their commitment to improving life and safety in the Adirondacks.”

With mobile broadband speeds, AT&T customers can surf the Web, download files faster, and enjoy the very latest interactive mobile applications. New areas of mobile broadband coverage for AT&T customers in the Adirondacks include:

Bolton: covering the I-87 Northway near Exit 24 in Warren County.

Caroga Lake/Canada Lake: along Routes 10 and 29A in areas of Fulton County.

Hague: on Route 9 and the northern end of Lake George in Warren County.

Huletts Landing: the northern shore of Lake George, Route 9 in Warren County and Routes 6, 6A and 6B in Washington County.

Johnsburg: along Route 28 in Warren County.

Northville: including Great Sacandaga Lake in Fulton County.

I-87 Northway: between Exits 25 – 26 (Pottersville-South Horicon) in Warren County.

Pilot Knob: serving Fort Ann, the eastern shores of Lake George in Washington County.

Mobile broadband enhancements in the Park were also made in areas of Lake Placid, Lyons Falls, Mineville (Belfry Mountain), Nicholville, North Elba, Old Forge, Port Henry/Moriah, Rattlesnake Mountain, Saranac Lake, and Whiteface Mountain.

The new cell sites are part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to drive investment and innovation to deliver the nation’s best, most advanced mobile broadband experience. With the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities.

AT&T invested more than $200 million in its New York wireless and wireline networks in the first half of 2011. “We’re working to bring wireless coverage to rural areas like Adirondack Park throughout New York State,” said Amy Hines Kramer, regional vice president of external affairs for AT&T in New York. “In addition, our recently announced agreement to acquire T-Mobile USA represents a major commitment to strengthen and expand our network. If approved, this deal means that we’ll be able to expand the next generation of mobile broadband – 4G LTE – from our current plan of 80 percent of the U.S. population to more than 97 percent.”

AT&T’s mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T has the broadest international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to voice service in more than 225 countries and data service in more than 200 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on more than 135 major cruise ships, as well as mobile broadband services in more than 130 countries.

AT&T also operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network** with more than 29,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to nearly 190,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn’t count against customers’ monthly wireless data plans.