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Cell Phone Tower in Firehouse’s Future?

I received a 1st public notice letter from the Adirondack Park Agency today which stated:

The Adirondack Park Agency received an application on December 28, 2009 from AT&T Mobility Corporation for a project proposed in the Town of Dresden, Washington County, on or near County Route 6 …. The tax map number of the property site is: Section 26.8 Block 3 Parcel 18 (The firehouse).

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.

This is a very positive development which is a win-win-win for everyone. It’s a great development for anyone who wants to use a cell phone in Huletts, it’s added revenue for the Huletts Volunteer Fire Company, and it’s a huge safety precaution in the event of an emergency. I imagine it would also give cell phone service to a good number of boaters on Lake George. In addition, the pole will be almost completely invisible.

Unfortunately, the Adirondack Park Agency is great at preventing ideas that assist people in living their lives and helping communities thrive. This is a no-brainer, so from this moment on, I will start counting the days from when this application was received until the project is approved. I’ll keep everyone updated.

Redo: Can You Hear Me Now? Not from Huletts

Update 1/10/2010 7:47 a.m.

I was just learned that there is a story about the Huletts Landing cell tower in the January issue of the Lake George Mirror.

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Floating Classroom to Visit Twice This Summer


The Lake George Association’s Floating Classroom will visit Huletts Landing twice during the summer of 2010, courtesy of the Friends of Historic Huletts.

I’m pleased to announce that the Friends of Historic Huletts have arranged for the Lake George Association’s Floating Classroom to visit Huletts twice this upcoming summer. For those unfamiliar with this great program, it is literally a boat which serves as a “floating classroom” where individuals can learn more about the lake’s ecology.

It is a great day for young and old, where one can learn about the unique nature of Lake George and what can done to preserve the lake. The boat can hold up to 40 people and will visit once in July and once in August. I will post further details as we get closer to the summer. Thank you Friends of Historic Huletts for arranging for this great summer program.

To read more about the LGA’s new floating classroom, read the LGA’s flyer here.

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Newly Elected Town Officials Sworn In

Before you take a girl and say ‘I do’ now
Make sure she’s in love with a-you now
Make sure that her love is true now
I’d hate to see you feelin’ sad and blue now’
My Mama told me
‘You better shop around’

Shop Around – SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES

Our newly elected Dresden town councilmen, Wayne Barrett and Arthur Borin, raised their right hands and said “I do”, officially being sworn into office on Saturday afternoon, January 2, 2010. Town Supervisor Banks administered the oath of office and Town Clerk, Marci Wilbur, completed the official paperwork. Congratulations to both Mr. Barrett and Mr. Borin. Their love for the town should be apparent to all.

I would also like to thank outgoing town council member, Joanne Farley, for her 4 years of service on the board. She was instrumental in keeping the Washington County Beach open and working to keep taxes low. Her hard work and dedication will be missed.

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Top News Story of Huletts: 2009

With so many media outlets declaring their top new stories for 2009, the Huletts Current continues the practice by naming the top story for Huletts Landing during the past year.

The Huletts Current pick for the top story of 2009 was the dredging and removal of the delta that had formed at the mouth of Foster Brook over many years. This major project, which was years in the making, was not only a significant investment in the environment, but was also a commitment to life and the enjoyment of Lake George. We name it “Top Story of Huletts 2009” and congratulate all those who were part of this great undertaking.


Contractor Don Kingsley (red shirt, second from left) stands with his son-in-law, Jeff (far left), son, Don (with yellow shirt), and Randy Rath, Project Manager for the Lake George Association (far right). The Lake George Association, the Town of Dresden and countless concerned citizens worked for many years to make the dredging of Foster Brook a reality.

Huletts had a few big stories this past year. The grand opening of the new and improved Huletts Casino and the Dresden town election were two of the biggest news items in our community. There were other newsworthy items that could be included also. However, the single biggest story was the completion of the dredging of Foster Brook. This project was years in the making, but in 2009 it finally happened.

For many years, erosion and severe storms had formed a delta at the mouth of Foster Brook as it entered Lake George. The project needed numerous permits from various state agencies not only for the work to be done in Lake George but also alongside the banks of Foster Brook. Approximately 3 years ago, work was completed by the Town of Dresden and the Lake George Association on a catch basin in Foster Brook and alongside the stream’s banks. However, the clogged mouth prevented the situation from improving.

Many obstacles were encountered along the way to finally completing the project this year, but they were overcome by the hard-work of many who were also sensitive to preserving and protecting the environment. So to the many true stewards of the environment, including the Lake George Association, the Town of Dresden, and the countless citizens and community members who worked to bring this project to completion in 2009, the Huletts Current recognizes your contribution to the “Landing” by naming the dredging and removal of the delta at the mouth of Foster Brook as the “Top Story of Huletts 2009”. Teamwork and citizen participation won out!

Before

After

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Opinion: Huletts Should Consider Fire/Rescue Boat


Bolton’s fire/rescue boat at dock this past summer. Many fire departments around the lake have fire/rescue boats in the event of an emergency.

While it may be winter, here is something to think about. Huletts Landing has numerous miles of shoreline on Lake George, with many waterfront homes difficult to get to. One piece of equipment that would be helpful in the event of a fire on the lake would be our own fire/rescue boat. The number of homes along town’s lakeshore, and the growing needs for water protection for recreational boaters, are the essential reasons why a fire/rescue boat should be considered.

Some of the homes in Huletts are quite difficult to reach by land and in many cases it would be quicker to bring a boat around the lakeside of a house in the event of a fire.

Additionally, unlike the ability for victims to run from a burning building, those fleeing a burning boat can quickly fall victim to drowning and fatigue until they are safely on board a vessel.

The town of Hague purchased a fire/rescue boat last year and while it is certainly an extra precaution, in a town such as ours, it is certainly something worth considering.

Here is a video of a fireboat in action that I found on YouTube.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZsW3IPeQA

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Bits of Everything

DEC Demands Lake George Village Make Sewage Upgrades

The Adirondack Almanack has a good story about some improvements that will hopefully be made in Lake George Village.

Small Town Vulnerable: USPS loses $3.8 billion for Year as Volume Falls

The Washington Post reports on the problems at the U.S. Postal Service because of falling mail volume. Remember, please buy your postage form the Huletts Post Office.

Have Yourself a Microscopic Christmas: The World’s Smallest Snowman

Just in time with the first snow, Mail Online has pictures of the world’s smallest snowman.

Old Lake Champlain Bridge: Demolition Soon; Public Invited to Safely View ‘Implosion’

Denton Publications Online lets everyone know the meeting schedule today in Ticonderoga where it will be announced what is going on with the Lake Champlain bridge.

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Our Webcams Have Doubled

I’m happy to announce that the Huletts Current has now added a second webcam courtesy of Dennis Hudson on Kitchell Bay. So thank you, Dennis for sharing your beautiful view of Lake George from Kitchel Bay.

To see the new live view; click here.

The folks on Kitchel Bay seem to be leading the Landing in innovation because now both of the webcams on the left sidebar originate from there.

So if you have nothing better to do today, feel free to watch a live view of the snowstorm which has already brought about 6 inches of snow to the Landing.

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Oral Histories Needed


One project that the Friends of Historic Huletts is working on, is recording oral histories from longtime residents and people associated with Huletts Landing to preserve our area’s unique history.

We all have stories to tell, stories we have lived from the inside out. We organize these memories of our lives into stories.

Oral history is the systematic collection of living people’s testimony about their own experiences. Historians have finally recognized that the everyday memories of everyday people, not just the rich and famous, have historical importance. If we do not collect and preserve those memories, those stories, then one day they will disappear forever.

Friends of Historic Huletts would like to start an “oral history bank”, composed of recordings, video and testimony that is specific to the experiences of people from Hulett’s Landing. Oral history depends upon human memory and the spoken word. With the proliferation of camcorders and YouTube, this could be a great project and open to all.

Do you have a unique memory of Huletts? Then record it. Better yet, can you identify someone who has some great memories or stories about Huletts? Then ask them to sit for an interview where their narrative can be recorded.

I will be doing a few of these in the months ahead and posting them here. This is truly a worthy endeavor that everyone can join in and and learn from.

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Bits of Everything

Lake George Land Conservancy Gets Big Gift

The Lake George Land Conservancy was the recipient of a large grant from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation recently.

Washington County Budget Cuts Protested

A number of people turned out to protest cuts to the Washington County Budget, the Post Star reports. Presently, no cuts have been proposed to the Washington County Beach.

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Absentee Ballots Counted: Town Board Race

Absentee Ballots Included in Vote Totals (Unofficial)
The absentee ballots in the Dresden Town Board election were counted today. Here are the updated totals with absentee ballots included.

Town Board Vote – 2 Seats Open

    Votes
Wayne Barrett (I)     122
Arthur Borin (R)     110
           
Joanne Farley (R)     105
Carl Sobeck (D)     88
George Gang (D)     36
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Election Update: No Ballots Counted Tuesday

The Washington County Board of Elections did not count the Dresden absentee ballots Tuesday.

Because of Veterans Day, their office is closed on Wednesday.

The Dresden absentee ballots should be counted on Thursday. As of 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, 52 absentee ballots had been returned. To be counted, an absentee ballot has to have been postmarked, November 2nd, the day before the election.

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Our Top 10!


Even though our name was misspelled on the Giants media pass when I visited their training camp in Albany in August, the fact that we were given media credentials demonstrates how bloggers have gained status in reporting on the news in the last year alone.

Yesterday we celebrated one year of posts at the Huletts Current. So to recap the last year I thought I would link to the top 10 posts from our first year:

1. Doing it Mountain Dew – Huletts 1980’s
2. Interview with Adam Terry, Baltimore Raven
3. Center for Watershed Protection -Their Backyard
4. The Lost Radio Ad
5. Behind the Plays: NY Giants Training Camp
6. What Exactly is a Catamount?
7. Behind the Scenes of the Today Show
8.Two Great Guys Honored
9.The Mystery of the 1842 Marker
10. The Keough’s & Vice President Biden

Tomorrow, the celebration continues with some out-takes from the videos I shot this past year.

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We’re One Today!

Today is November 9, 2009 which is exactly one year since my first post on the Huletts Current. So, we have officially turned one together. During the past year, I’ve published 583 posts and other new sites and blogs regularly link to the Huletts Current. We’ve even broken some stories here.

We’ve done a lot in one year. We’ve gone from the Today Show to the NY Giants football training camp. We’ve done interviews, posted pictures, and tried to cover what’s going on in Huletts and regionally. We even saw the coldest night of the year. When things were slow, we even looked at some history now and then. We interviewed all the candidates running for the school board and the Dresden town board this past year!

To celebrate our first year, I thought I would share a note that I received which really captures what I hoped to do with the Huletts Current.

Dear Mr. Kapusinski,

I continue to enjoy the Huletts Current on a daily basis (except when I’m fortunate to visit the Lake). I’ve mentioned it to several people and they’re viewing it too. Because of you I found out about the history talk as Mountain Grove Church on the 19th of July (and was able to make arrangements to attend) and the Washington County Beach T-shirts (they were sold out when I went to get one but they’re getting more in and I’ve prepaid for one – they seemed happy when I told them, I “found” them in the Huletts Current).

I also taped the Today Show and loved what you wrote when you climbed the tree. Thanks so much for all the wonderful information you put together. I expect it takes a lot of work, effort, and time. I want you to know it is appreciated.

Thanks for the Noble webcam – I view that daily (at least) too. Please pass along my thanks to Jeff K for making it available to us.

It brightens my days in so many ways!

Thank you,
Marge Butler

I have to say the thank you, Marge, goes right back to you and all the readers of the Huletts Current from me. I’ve seen our unique page views climb to approximately 400 per week and without people reading the Huletts Current, I wouldn’t be doing this. We’re now even syndicated on Amazon’s new wireless e-reader, the Kindle.

So we’re going to celebrate this week with some fun posts. I haven’t run out of ideas and I have some more funs things in store for the year to come. We’ll also cover the “news” that impacts our community.

Tomorrow, I’ll recap the top 10 posts from our first year and don’t forget the absentee ballots in the Dresden town board race will be counted this week! We’ll report on it right here on the Huletts Current. Now 1 year old.

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Bits of Everything

Maryland Eastern Shore Newspaper Spotlights Huletts Chapel

The Dialog, the Catholic newspaper for Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, spotlighted our own Chapel of the Assumption as one of their “Holy Places”. Now who might have submitted that? (You’ll need to scroll to page 9.)

Governor Paterson Calls Special Session

The Times Union reports that the Governor is calling a special session of the legislature to deal with the budget deficit.