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School Board Election & Budget Vote: May 17th

Voting for five open seats on the Whitehall school board, adoption of the annual school budget and a school bus purchase resolution will take place on Monday, May 17th between 12:00 noon and 8:00 pm at the Large Group Instruction Room of the Junior-Senior high school building on Buckley Road in Whitehall.

Voters will also be asked to approve the purchase of a sixty-five person school bus, not to exceed the cost of $127,040.

A public hearing will be held on Monday, May 9th at 6:00 pm for the presentation of the budget.

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Brush Burn Ban Starts: March 16th

From March 16 through May 14, New York’s annual statewide ban prohibiting brush burning is in effect. Since 2009, DEC has enforced the ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities during heightened conditions for wildfires each spring. Backyard fire pits and campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width, or diameter are allowed. Small cooking fires are allowed, but only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, or unpainted wood can be burned. People should never leave these or any fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round. For more information about fire safety and prevention, go to the DEC’s FIREWISE New York website.

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LGPC to Pull Lake George Boat Inspectors from Huletts in 2022, Relocate to Lake Champlain Boat Launch

If you thought you read the headline wrong, you didn’t. I received this letter from the Lake George Park Commission, addressed to all Huletts Landing residents late last week.

To make sure I wasn’t reading the letter wrong, I doubled checked with the LGPC and they will no longer site boat inspectors, who check for invasive species on boats trailered into Huletts to be launched in Lake George, in Huletts Landing. Instead they are relocating their Lake George boat inspectors to the South Bay boat launch on Lake Champlain, as you come over the bridge from Whitehall into Dresden.

Today, the LGPC responded:

“You are correct, the Commission will not have a boat inspection station in Hulett’s Landing in 2022. The equipment will be relocated to the NYS DEC South Bay Launch on NY Route 22, just south of County Route 6. The Commission will be installing signs on both the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 22 and on County Route 6, headed to Hulett’s. There will also be signs at the South Bay launch directing boaters to stop for inspection. The Commission website has already been updated with a Google Maps link for boaters to find the South Bay site. The goal is to reduce the number of boaters who make it to Hulett’s without an inspection.”

So if you have guests or renters who are trailering a boat into Huletts for launching into Lake George this summer, please let them know: a.) they will have to get their boat inspected before they come over the mountain into Huletts, or b.) if they arrive after the inspection station has closed, they will have to haul the boat over the mountain again the next day to get it inspected, for invasive species, before it can be launched into Lake George from Huletts.

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Dresden’s 2022 Town Budget Posted

The 2022 town budget for Dresden has been finalized and posted on the town’s website. Here is a basic summary.

The amount to be raised from taxes in 2022 decreases to $824,926 from $825,476 in 2021 – a decrease of $550.

The Dresden and Huletts fire companies both receive the same amounts as 2021. Page two lists the salaries of all town officials.

Many thanks to Dresden Supervisor Paul Ferguson (who is also the budget officer for the Town) and the entire Dresden Town Board for working so hard to keep our town property taxes low. Keeping spending in check, while growing the tax base keeps property taxes stable.

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Dresden Supervisor Submits AUD’s for Numerous Years

I’m pleased to report that Dresden has submitted all AUD’s (Annual Update Documents) from 2012 to 2020 to the NY State Comptroller’s office. The 2021 AUD will not be due until March 2022.

Dresden Town Supervisor Paul Ferguson has worked diligently over a number of years to get Dresden’s books in order. The AUD’s are basically a way for the Comptroller’s office to provide oversight over municipal financial records.

The records compare actual spending against what was budgeted for and require backup information to verify that the record keeping is correct. Supervisor Ferguson deserves a lot of credit for getting eight years of AUD’s completed and submitted.

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Top News Story of Huletts: 2021

Many interesting things happened in Huletts in 2021. An independent film was even filmed in and around Huletts this past summer.

However for the “Top News Story of Huletts” for the year – the biggest one in my mind is clearly how the community again responded to the COVID-19 international pandemic. Life started getting back to semi-normal with vaccine shots, and small gatherings, the Huletts Casino reopened with a shortened and abbreviated schedule and school began again after Labor Day. Masks came off indoors for most of the year. Children and adults were tired of being cooped up for so long.

I received more thank-you letters and emails than I have ever received in one year – the gist of practically all of them – thanks for getting back to normal and having Huletts be a place where fear doesn’t rule. However, I can’t claim credit for that – the community gets the credit. People may have stood a little farther apart but I think Huletts Landing was ahead of the curve in realizing that we can’t shut down permanently – that we have to go ahead with living and being our “best selves.” By trying to follow “best practices” and learning as we go, we can move ahead and get through this.

The recent moves nationally to shorten the quarantine period and keep schools open in response to almost two years of the pandemic, I think reflects this changing thinking. Children have suffered greatly through the pandemic months and there is no better place for children than Huletts. While it appears we are not “out of the woods” yet, hopefully sometime in 2022, we will have the pandemic behind us.

When will things truly return to normal? We don’t know. However we look to the future with hope knowing that we made it through 2021 working together to keep Huletts safe.

May 2022 be a better year, full of glad tidings for everyone.

Happy New Year!

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NY State Senator Stec Co-Sponsored Bill Supporting Injured Firefighters Signed Into Law

Chief James Brook Jr. Act honors fallen local hero, assists fellow heroes

Legislation co-sponsored by Senator Dan Stec (R,C,I-Queensbury) that adds vascular rupture to the list of injuries covered under the Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefit Law was officially signed by Gov. Hochul today.

Called the Chief James Brook Jr. Act (S4562), it honors a fallen local hero. Chief James Brooks Jr. was a second assistant fire chief for the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company, who served his community for over 27 years. On May 2, 2020, he suffered an aortic rupture while responding to a structural fire in the Town of Dresden, Washington County, and succumbed on September 17, 2020 due to complications from that injury.

After the New York State Workers Compensation Board determined that Brooks’ injury did not qualify for insurance coverage, Senator Stec swiftly took action and supported this bi-partisan legislation to ensure that injured heroes like the late Chief Brooks receive the medical coverage they need and deserve.

“Volunteer firefighters risk their health and lives to help our communities and they deserve the utmost respect and support,” Stec said. “When Chief Brooks was tragically hurt in the line of duty, the insurance fund for volunteer firefighters should have covered his injuries.

“The Chief James Brook Jr. Act ensures his heroism and service are never forgotten, and it ensure that volunteer firefighters who suffer a similar injury receive the benefits and medical coverage they deserve,” he added. “I’d like to thank Gov. Hochul for signing this essential bill into law and my colleagues for passing this bi-partisan measure supporting our volunteer firefighters.”

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Two LGLC Staff Receive Montesi Conservation Award


Sarah Hoffman (left) and Alex Novick were honored Monday, December 13 with the Ronald Montesi Citizen Conservation Award, from the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District. (Click image to see larger view.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is proud to have two staff members as recipients of this year’s Ronald Montesi Citizen Conservation Award, presented by the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District.

LGLC Communications and Outreach Manager Sarah Hoffman, and Land Steward Alex Novick received the award on Monday, December 13 at the WCSWCD office in Warrensburg.

Presenting the award to Hoffman, WCSWCD Senior District Technician Dean Moore said, “Sarah’s relentless passion has her constantly pairing funding opportunities with partner agencies and project locations to benefit the communities we live in. Her work fosters the generosity and passion of an individual who truly loves our great region and seeks out opportunities to preserve the quality of these resources for future generations.”

Presenting the award to Novick, WCSWCD District Manager Jim Lieberum said, “The work that Alex does at the West Brook Conservation Initiative and other LGLC properties is something that should be recognized. It is obvious that he enjoys what he does and he has a wealth of knowledge that exceeds just more than just the environment. He is well deserving of this recognition and we look forward to many future collaborative projects.”

Named after long-time WCSWCD Board Member Ronald Montesi who passed away in 2019, the Award “is provided to individuals who have taken the initiative to improve their environment and developed partnerships in their community. The District is committed to recognizing those people who we have worked with to provide new conservation opportunities and enhance existing programs.

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Governor Hochul Announces Action to Address Winter Covid-19 Surge

Governor Kathy Hochul today this past week that masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. This a major action to address the winter surge comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise statewide to be in alignment with the CDC’s recommendations for communities with substantial and high transmission. The State Health Commissioner issued a determination solidifying the requirement.

This determination is based on the State’s weekly seven-day case rate as well as increasing hospitalizations. The new business and venue requirements extend to both patrons and staff. This measure is effective Dec. 13, 2021 until Jan. 15, 2022, after which the State will re-evaluate based on current conditions. The new measure brings added layers of mitigation during the holidays when more time is spent indoors shopping, gathering, and visiting holiday-themed destinations.

“As Governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy. The temporary measures I am taking today will help accomplish this through the holiday season. We shouldn’t have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet,” Governor Hochul said. “I want to thank the more than 80 percent of New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated. If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary.”

“I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: Increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas,” Governor Hochul added.

Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 43% and hospitalizations have increased by 29%. While the percentage of New Yorkers fully vaccinated continues to increase—gaining 2% from Thanksgiving weekend to now—the uptick is not fast enough to completely curb the spread of the virus, particularly among communities with low vaccination coverage.

The State Department of Health has produced nation-leading studies, published in the CDC’s MMWR and the New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrate the COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness – particularly in preventing severe disease. The Department continues to urge eligible New Yorkers of all ages to get fully vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, “Community spread requires a community-minded solution, as the Omicron variant emerges and the overwhelmingly dominant Delta variant continues to circulate. We have the tools we need to protect against the virus – and now we must ensure we use them. There are tools each individual can use, and there are actions we can take as government. Getting vaccinated protects you, and wearing a mask is how we will better protect each other. Both vaccination and mask-wearing are needed to slow this COVID-19 winter surge.”

A violation of any provision of this measure is subject to all civil and criminal penalties, including a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. Local health departments are being asked to enforce these requirements.