Supervisors Approve Privatization of Transfer Stations

Earlier this month, the Washington County Board of Supervisors approved a lease with an option to buy of the five county owned transfer stations with Earth, Waste and Metal, a Vermont company.

Most Huletts residents are familiar with the Whitehall transfer station and may be asking what effect this transfer will have for residents that dispose of their trash there.

The county lost a combined $600,000 on the five transfer stations in 2012 and had been in talks for some time to privatize the transfer stations.

Earth, Metal and Waste, a company which operates a number of transfer stations in Vermont, will lease the facilities under a five- year agreement that includes a purchase option.

The supervisors voted 17-0 to approve the agreement which will see the county receive $5,000 per month to lease the stations with 60% of the lease payment credited toward the $1.47 million purchase price if the company chooses to buy the stations within 12 months. If the company exercises the right to buy after the first 12 months, a lower portion of the rental proceeds would apply to the purchase price.

I spoke to Dresden Town Supervisor, Bob Banks, and learned that the official date that the agreement will go into effect will be June 1st. That is when Earth, Waste and Metal will begin operating the Whitehall transfer station. They will continue to accept transfer stickers previously purchased from the town clerk and will also have a cash register on site. Stickers that were previously purchased should be good for at least another year. Supervisor Banks sees additional hours being added to the station during the summer months.

“This company is big into recycling,” stated Supervisor Banks, “they will do a good job and residents of the town will be happy.”

Bits of Everything

Post Star: New Sheriff Gets High Budgeting Marks

Washington County Sheriff Jeff Murphy saved Washington county a good bit of money.

Look TV: Whitehall Building Owner Arrested

It’s come to this on Main street in Whitehall.

North Country Public Radio: Old Warship, 200 Years Later

The USS Ticonderoga 1812 sits in the middle of Whitehall, 200 years later.

The Free George: Cougars in the Adirondacks

Reintroducing the long absent Cougar into the ecosystem is looked at.

Post Star: Transfer Stations Talks Turn to Lease

The Post Star examines the negotiations for the transfer stations.

Stec Talks Lake George with DEC Commissioner


Assemblyman Dan Stec, questions DEC Commissioner, Joseph Martens, at Monday’s budget hearing in Albany.

Assemblyman Dan Stec, the Ranking Member of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee took part in a hearing on Monday with Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joseph Martens. Stec, a strong supporter of promoting and protecting our lakes, relished the opportunity to discuss the issues affecting vital resources such as Lake George.

“Lake George is crucial to my district, not only as a tourist attraction and source of revenue, but as a treasured part of our community’s history,” said Stec. “Ensuring that we protect this body of water and others like it is essential to the continued promotion of outdoor recreation and economic development in our region.

“I would like to thank Commissioner Martens for taking the time to discuss topics like invasive species and waterway protection. With his input, we can better figure out strategies to ensure our lakes and bodies of water remain the jewels of our community they are today.”

Video of the discussion with Commissioner Martens can be seen below:

httpv://youtu.be/fBwNFRS3JYw

Now For Some History: 1894


A newspaper receipt from the Washington County Post, dated July 30, 1894, to Mr. David W. Phillips of Huletts Landing.

Lane DeMuro emailed me a number of documents today from David W. Phillips of Huletts Landing, dating from the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Included was a newspaper receipt from the summer of 1894.

Many thanks to Lane DeMuro for passing this along.

Click on image to see enlarged view.

New Assemblyman Sworn In


New state Assemblyman Dan Stec (R) (right) is sworn in on January 1. Stec was recently elected to represent Assembly District 114 which includes Huletts Landing. Standing to the left of Stec is Stec’s wife, Hillary (holding the Bible) and Stec’s parents, Elise and George Stec. Stec’s son, Peter, is standing in front of him. Troy City Court Judge, Matthew J. Turner, conducted the swearing-in. Assembly Minority Leader, Brian Kolb, stands next to the Judge.

Stec’s biography can be seen here.

Click on image to see larger scale.

Capital District’s Economic Council Grants Awarded

This past week, the Governor’s economic development grants were announced for the different regions of the state.

Washington and Warren Counties were included with the Capital District’s economic council’s grant winners.

Some notable local recipients:

Village of Lake George (with project partners): $750,000 to construct elements of the Charles R. Wood Park including: a children’s adventure play area; skateboard park; interpretive elements; primary park entrance; signage; and sidewalks connecting to the Beach Road and the Warren County Bike Path.

Hacker Boat Company: $600,000 to expand its current facility to meet demand for manufacturing larger boats.

The Lake George Watershed Coalition: $390,000 to conduct Stream Corridor Water Quality Monitoring for water quality and morphology, incorporate improved knowledge of stream morphology, assess effectiveness of existing stormwater management and control including West Brook Stormwater Control project, restore stream corridors; and provide outreach and education to improve operation of on-site wastewater treatment systems.

The Hyde Collection: $137,201 to present and promote the exhibit “Modern Nature: Georgia O’Keefe and Lake George”; an associated catalog; and a regional program session.

Village of Lake George: $170,166 to reconstruct public docks along Beach Road destroyed by Hurricane Irene.

Village of Fort Edward: $243,493 to redevelop an historic Canal building for use as a permanent location of a required farmers’ market. The new Canal Street Farmers Marketplace, will include retail space for agricultural goods produced in Washington, Warren and Saratoga counties.

Here is the complete Capital District List. (Pages 7-9 show all local grant recipients.)

Gettysburg 1863: Washington County’s Heroic Fight


Survivors of the 123 NY Volunteers at the dedication of their monument at Gettysburg, PA on September 4, 1888. (25 years after the battle of Gettysburg.)


The monument as it looks today. The 123rd was comprised of volunteers from Washington County, NY including the towns of Dresden and Whitehall. (The 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg will be July 1-3, 2013.)

(Top two pictures only – click to see full scale.)

Face plate of the monument reads:
123rd. New York
Infantry
1st. Brigade 1st. Division
12th. Corps

Imagine a young man from Washington County, NY in August of 1862 who volunteers to serve in the Union army. He gets sent to Washington DC, where he is assigned to the Army of the Potomac and winds up marching to Gettysburg in July 1863, where he will not only take part in the battle which arguably turns the course of the war but his regiment defends an important part of the Union line.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Washington County’s 123rd brigade. Mustered into the Union army in September 1862, they joined the Army of the Potomac and were engaged in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg before being transferred to the Army of the Cumberland where they participated in the Campaign of Atlanta, the March to the Sea, and the Campaign of the Carolinas. The survivors were mustered out of Washington, DC, at the close of the war, on June 8, 1865 and returned to Washington County, NY.

Last week, I traveled to Gettysburg, located the monument to the 123rd, and learned about the heroics shown by our local citizen-soldiers there in 1863. The story which follows should be known by all residents of Washington County.

To begin, the battle of Gettysburg was a series of bloody skirmishes that took place during three days: July 1-3, 1863. The Confederate army was at it’s peak and had marched up through Virginia into Pennsylvania. Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, wanted to attack Washington DC from the north and hoped to conclude the war if successful. He had approximately 94,000 men with him. The Union army was in a defensive fishhook-like position defending the high ground on a number of hills south and west of Gettysburg. Union General, George Meade, commanded approximately 75,000 men.


A map of the Gettysburg battlefield. Union forces (in blue) were shaped in a fishhook-like position defending the high ground south of the town of Gettysburg. Confederate forces (in red) attacked over a three day period from the north. Culp’s Hill was important because it was the right flank of the Union line.

The 123rd marched north to Gettysburg from Littlestown, PA on July 1, 1863. The next day, they advanced up Culp’s Hill and formed the right flank of Union lines. They constructed a heavy breastwork barricade of logs. At about 6 p.m. on July 2, 1863 they moved to support the left flank of Union lines near Little Round Top. Returning in the night they found the works they had constructed earlier in the day in possession of the Confederacy as no troops had been left to occupy them.

The 123rd engaged in the most ferocious fighting on July 3rd. During the morning, under cover from artillery from Connecticut’s 20th, they made a charge up Culp’s Hill and recovered the works they had constructed the previous day. They then proceeded to fend off two assaults by Confederate troops who wanted to retake the Culp’s Hill position and breach the right flank of the Union line.


NY’s 123rd saw close fighting on July 3rd at the battle of Gettysburg. Confederate forces came up Culp’s Hill through the woods after the 123rd had retaken this position. This is the view the Washington County soldiers would have had of advancing Confederate troops.


After recapturing the high ground, Washington County forces fought from a position of strength from barricades they had constructed the previous day. This is the view the Confederate soldiers would have had of the dug-in 123rd. Log fortifications, hastily constructed the day before, and boulders were used as protection by the 123rd. (This area is directly behind where the monument is now located.)


The marker in the bottom right corner shows the right-flank of the 123rd’s line on Culp’s Hill.


The stone marker shows the left-flank of the 123rd’s line on Culp’s Hill.

Once the southerners retreated from Culp’s Hill around mid-day, the 123rd was ordered to support the Union front line repelling Pickett’s charge at about 4 pm. This famous frontal assault by the Confederate’s would end in defeat and prove devastating to the South at Gettysburg. Later in the evening of July 3rd, after the 123rd had returned to Culp’s Hill, there were more skirmishes with the southerners, where heavy causalities were taken by the Confederates.

Lee retreated with the remnants of the Confederate army into Virginia. General Meade breathed a sign of relief, knowing that the Union troops had repelled the South and defended Washington, DC.

The 123rd left Gettysburg on July 4, 1863. In total, during the three days of fighting, they lost 14 soldiers.

Today, there is an observation tower on Culp’s Hill where much of the Gettysburg battlefield can be seen.


The Culp’s Hill observation tower today.


A view of Gettysburg, from the Culp’s Hill observation tower. Pickett’s charge took place below.


The 123rd’s flag, hangs in the Skenesborough Museum in Whitehall.

Bits of Everything

Washington County Passes New Budget

The Supervisors agreed this past week to a budget with a 3.1% spending increase. From the Post Star.

Whitehall School Ranked Last in County

Buffalo Business First released their annual ranking of upstate schools and the Whitehall School district was ranked last in the county and 398th out of 430 upstate schools.

Two Private Companies Want to Run Transfer Stations

The Post Star reports on the what may happen to the transfer stations in Washington County.

Old Ticonderoga Hospital to be Razed

Denton Publications reports on the fate of the old Moses-Ludington Hospital.

Scared Yet?? The 45 Best Pictures at a Haunted House

Buzz Feed has some funny pictures of scared people.

Rare Photo Shows 1898 Washington County “I” Company


A rare photograph of Washington County’s Company “I” which fought in the Spanish-American War. (Click image to see full-scale.)

This is one of those rare historical finds which is one of the reasons I started the Huletts Current.

It is a picture of Washington County’s Company “I” which fought in the Spanish-American War. The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States. It resulted in American control of Cuba and, following their purchase from Spain, indefinite authority over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

It was given to me by Don Hart. Don’s wife, Pamela, is the granddaughter of Ruth Foote. Ruth was the sister of Earle Foote of Huletts Landing.

Don Hart’s great-grandfather, Patrick Hart, is pictured holding the razor and giving the man in the chair a shave. Don’s great-uncle, Bernard Hart, (Patrick’s brother) is also pictured sitting behind the left shoulder of the man lying on the ground with the apron. Bernard is the one with the ring of bullets around his neck. Don could not identify any of the other men in the picture.

I love this particular shot because it looks like the men were rounded up for the photograph while they were just doing their normal routines. It gives some insight into what the daily life of a local soldier was like in 1898.

Don said that both his great-grandfather and great-uncle were pretty tough fellows who were not known to back down from a fight. All these guys look rough and ready though, and this photo is certainly a great historical find. Many thanks to Don Hart for providing it.

(To really appreciate the image, click on it to see it full-scale.)

Supervisors Consider Transfering Transfer Stations

By a vote of 10 to 5, a resolution passed the Washington County Board of Supervisors on September 21st, to retain an attorney and spend roughly $3,000 on a request for proposals for the sale or lease of the five county owned transfer stations including the one located in Whitehall. Supervisor Robert Banks of Dresden was one of the five votes against the resolution.

This could lead to the stations either being sold or leased to a private garbage collection company. Other options could include changing the way the county presently runs them or making no changes and running them as they have been in the past.

The county has been losing money for years on the transfer stations as more and more county residents have been opting to hire private trash haulers who bypass the county facilities.

Power Cable Proposed to Run Underground Through Dresden / Possibly Increase Tax Base


The portion of a new high voltage power cable (as seen in red) that is proposed from the U.S.-Canadian border to New York City is planned to run underground through the Town of Dresden. (Click image to see full scale.)

The Champlain Hudson Power Express is a proposed power transmission line that is anticipated to bring clean energy from the U.S.-Canadian border to New York City. The line will be a high voltage direct cable that will be placed in waterways or buried along railway routes to minimize impacts to local communities and the environment.

The proposed project extends 333 miles from the U.S. — Canadian border to New York City. Plans call for two, 5-inch diameter cables to be placed underwater or underground. The underwater portions of the preferred route include Lake Champlain and the Hudson River between Albany and Manhattan.

Presently, the proposed route for the transmission cable brings it out of Lake Champlain and through Dresden along Route 22. Basically, it would exit Lake Champlain north of Clemons and run alongside Route 22 all the way to the South Bay Bridge crossing Lake Champlain.

The entire route of the cable can be seen here, while the part that runs overland through Dresden can be seen on a Google Map download which can be found on this page. (See section numbers 101-110 on the Google Earth map.)

Sheets 1-24 of this 370 page .pdf map show the exact propsed route through Dresden.

The developers of the line are still in the process of obtaining approvals but hope to begin construction in 2014. Dresden could potentially receive additional tax revenue because the cable could be considered an “improvement,” increasing the assessed value of the land that the cable is placed upon.

The developers claim that the project will cost approximately $2 billion and the goal is for the cable to be in service by the fall of 2016. The $2 billion project represents one of the largest investments in New York State history and will create an average of more than 300 jobs during the 3 ½ year construction period.

To learn more visit: www.chpexpress.com/