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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.

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Is He or Isn’t He? There’s No “Communication”

In a surprise move early Saturday morning, the House Rules Committee, approved rules for debate on the health care bill. Included was an amendment to allow a vote to remove abortion funding.

The committee okayed a Rule that allows the House to vote on the Stupak amendment, offered by pro-life Rep. Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, to the health care reform legislation. Stupak claimed to have approximately 40 Democrats who threatened to vote against the Rule and the bill if he did not get a vote on his amendment. I wanted to make sure I could represent Congressman Murphy’s view accurately on this important vote.

The health care bill, HR 3962, would fund abortions in two ways — by allowing the public option (or government-run health care program) to pay for abortions and by allowing the affordability credits the government would give to consumers to be used to pay for health care plans that fund abortions.

I contacted Rep. Scott Murphy’s office on Saturday to inquire if he was one of the 40 Democrats who were supporting the Stupak amendment and to inquire which way he intended to vote on HR 3692.

I repeatedly left messages with his communications staff and even went so far as asking the person answering the phones where Congressman Murphy stood on this important issue. No one called me back and no one could state anything about Congressman Murphy’s position. I was referred to his Clifton Park Office where another communication’s person could supposedly answer my question. The number I was referred to didn’t even have an answering machine attached.

You would think that on such an important topic someone on the Congressman’s “communications” staff could communicate something. I’m still waiting for a return call.

Update 10/08/09 6:05 a.m.

The Stupak Amendment passed 240-194. This means that abortion coverage would not be paid for by the federal government and would continue the Hyde Amendment. Congressman Murphy voted against this measure, meaning he wanted abortion coverage to be paid for by the federal government.

This vote cleared the way for conservative pro-life Democrats to support the health care bill, HR 3962, which passed narrowly 220-215. Congressman Murphy voted “No” for final passage. Hopefully his communications office will be able to explain the reasoning behind his vote.

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What Happens Now?

I contacted the Washington County Board of Elections and as of 1:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, they had received 51 absentee ballots from Dresden. To be counted, an absentee ballot has to be postmarked the day prior to the election.

The Board of Elections will start counting absentee ballots on Tuesday, November 10th. They’ll go through all the towns in alphabetical order. If they don’t reach Dresden on Tuesday, they will continue counting on Thursday, November 12th. (Wednesday, November 11th, is Veteran’s Day, so they’re closed that day.)

As soon as there are results, they’ll be posted here.

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Dresden Town Board Election Results

Tuesday Machine Vote Totals (Unofficial)
Absentee Ballots still to be counted.
(61 Absentee Ballots Requested / 47 Returned
as of 11:00 a.m. Tues. morning.)

Town Board Vote – 2 Seats Open

    Votes
Wayne Barrett (I)     112
Joanne Farley (R)     85
           
Arthur Borin (R)     70
Carl Sobeck (D)     61
George Gang (D)     33
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The Judicial Candidates

New York Supreme Court races have gone largely under the radar so far, namely because judicial candidates really can’t say how they’ll decide individual cases. Huletts Landing is in the the fourth judicial circuit, comprising Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Montogomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties.

New York State Courts offers an impartial voters’ guide here. While it doesn’t say a lot, it’s at least something to consider before you vote.

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Tuesday’s Election May Go to Absentee Ballots

I contacted the Washington County Board of Elections and they had issued 60 absentee ballots as of Saturday, October 31st, to Dresden voters.

As such, while I will report the vote totals for the local town board race as they come in on Tuesday night, the winners may not be decided until the absentee ballots are counted.

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Dresden Town Taxes to Increase Slightly

Dresden recently finalized it’s 2010 budget which shows the amount to be raised from taxes will be $11,970 more than 2009. This translates into a 2.38% increase in taxes from 2009 to 2010. After cutting taxes for 2 years in a row, this is the first town-wide tax increase since the 2007 budget.

You can see a summary of this year’s town budget here.

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Bits of Everything

Please Buy Postage from Huletts

Please remember that even when you’re not in Huletts, you can still buy postage for all your mailing needs from the Huletts Post Office. I recently received a copy of our Postmaster’s appeal, which I pass along here.

PBS Stations Picking Up Locally Made Documentary

The Adirondack Almanack tells about a documentary shot locally at Fort Ticonderoga that will be seen on PBS stations throughout the country.

Governor Says Deficit Worse Than Expected

Governor Paterson says the state’s deficit will hit $10 billion over the next two years. The NY Post reports on it here.

WOW Picture of Chimps Grieving

This National Geographic picture really jumped out at me. It shows chimpanzees grieving for one of their own.

Rachael Ray Wants These Rockers Inducted

Spinner reports that Lake George’s own Rachael Ray wants some certain rockers inducted into the Hall of Fame. If successful, maybe she can get them to play the Casino.

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Interview with Town Board Candidate Wayne Barrett

Today, I present my questions to town board candidate, Wayne Barrett, and his responses. He is running for one of the two seats up for election on the town board this year. This concludes my interviews with all the candidates running for the town board.

Could you please tell us about yourself and why you are running for the town board?

“I’m 53-years-old and have lived in Dresden my whole life. I married Elizabeth LeClaire 23 years ago, and we have two teenage daughters: Ashleigh, who is 18 years-old, and Kathyrn who is 15 years-old. I worked for the town highway department back in the mid 70’s and also the county highway department. I now work for the New York State Department of Corrections as a correctional officer. I have been there for 32 years. I’m running for the Town Board because I care about the town and the people who live here. I would work hard to do what is right for the town and the people.”

What do you feel is the biggest issue that the Town of Dresden will face in the next 5 years?

“I feel the biggest issue would probably be the yearly budgets, trying to keep a handle on spending to keep taxes from going too high. Also to see what might be available in aid or grants for the town from county, state or federal levels.”

I understand that you are related to long-serving and recently retired, Town Clerk, Pat LeClaire. Mrs. LeClaire is one of the most widely known people in the Town of Dresden. Has her philosophy of serving the public through elective office influenced you?

“Yes, Pat LeClaire is my mother-in-law. The remarkable job that she did for the town for many years would be a positive influence on anyone who knows her or worked with her. She earned a great deal of respect as town clerk. She did the job to the fullest, dotted every “i” and crossed every “t.” I learned a lot of good things being around her for so many years. She is truly a wonderful lady.”

This year the Town subsidized the Washington County Beach to keep it open. Could you give us your thoughts on what people should expect in the future if you are elected?

“I cannot make any promises. With today’s economy, all towns in the county are feeling the pinch. You can be sure that the town will work hard to keep the County Beach open, if at all possible. In the future, I will work hard on any projects that are important or needed for the good of the town.”

You have lived in Dresden for a number of years and have been involved in civic life. What are some of the things you would share about small town life with those who might be thinking of moving here?

“Having lived in Dresden my whole life has been nice. You have Lake George on the West side of town and Lake Champlain on the East side with beautiful mountains in between. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. If elected, I would work very hard to keep it that way.”

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The Mystery of the 1842 Marker

This is one of the more interesting things I have run across regarding local history. Like any truly good story, it’s also a good mystery.

When I posted this story this past summer about the Military Road Marker off of Washington County Route 6, Marilyn Borden contacted me about an interesting old survey marker in the middle of her yard. Here is a picture of it.

It is unlike any survey marker I have ever seen and she said the surveyors who surveyed the property for her and her husband, William, had never seen anything like it either. She would go on to say; “Not many people know it is there. It is a bit of a curiosity when people see it!”

Here are close-ups of it with captions of what is inscribed on each side. (You can click on each image to see them in full resolution.)


TREATY OF WASHINGTON


LT COLONEL I. B. B. ESTCOURT, H. B. M. COMMISSIONER.


BOUNDARY, AUGUST 9, 1842.


ALBERT SMITH, U. S. COMMISSIONER.

The Dresden town historian, Agnes Peterson, did some research on it years ago but was never able to come up with anything conclusive. It seems to have something to do with the United States boundary with Canada and the War of 1812. If you scroll to almost the middle of this page, you can see a drawing of it. Read the paragraph above the drawing and see footnote # 45.

I have attempted to research the historical significance of this marker over the last few months but have come up empty. I’ve presented here what Marilyn Borden has shared with me and if anyone would like to continue the research, I will be happy to present any findings here.

A good mystery always starts with a question. What is the historical significance of this marker?

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The 5th Town Board Candidate

Previously I had posted the names of the Republican and Democratic nominated candidates for the Dresden Town Board. This year there are two open seats on the Board. Both parties have nominated two candidates. I have posted all 4 of these candidates answers to my questions already.

However, I was recently made aware that there is another candidate running as an Independent. Mr. Wayne Barrett is on the ballot and was unknown to me at the time I sent out my questionnaires. He is the son-in-law of former town clerk, Patricia LeClaire. I recently spoke to Mr. Barrett and gave him a questionnaire to complete. He has assured me he will be returning it to me this week. My policy was that would I post candidate responses in the order they were returned to me. However, because Mr. Barrett was unknown to me when the original questionnaires were mailed out, it is not his fault his questionnaire is the last returned. As soon as I have Mr. Barrett’s answers to my questions, I will post his responses.

Once again, Dresden is fortunate to have 5 qualified candidates running for the two open seats on the Town Board this year.

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Can You Hear Me Now? Not From Huletts

“My boss didn’t believe me when I told him, ‘I’m going to a place where there isn’t any cell phone service’.”

Sadly, this is an actual remark that I heard this past summer and it illustrates an issue that must be addressed in Huletts. It impacts everyone and it’s not only a health and safety issue but it’s also an economic one.

The Adirondack Park Agency has the power to approve new cell phone towers and has been criticized for moving slowly on this throughout the Park.

There are a number of innovative new cell phone tower companies, such as this one, who place numerous carriers’ receivers on one pole and who have become expert in hiding these towers in the surrounding forest. They can actually be disguised as a tree or be hidden in the forest’s canopy. Even something as simple as adding a new receiver to an existing emergency pole at a current firehouse, has to go through the APA’s approval process.

Imagine having a drowning or boating accident and reaching for your cell phone only to have no service? Imagine losing a renter or friend who can’t get that important phone call? Isn’t it a shame, that if you break down on certain areas of the mountain, you can’t get any cell phone service at all? In this day and age, it’s a complete travesty that cell phone service is unavailable in large parts of the Adirondacks. We lead the world in technology yet the Adirondack’s are a technological backwater because the Adirondack Park Agency’s can’t approve a cell phone tower quickly.

No longer should the APA be able to hide behind the empty argument that these facilities damage lines of sight. The most innovative cell phone tower companies have already overcome this with truly great designs. Now is the time for the Adirondack’s to catch up with the rest of society.

Hopefully, someday soon, we’ll be to answer the question; “Can you hear me now?” from Huletts.