Bits of Everything

Whitehall Gym Expenditure Passes

The Whitehall Times reports on the vote to spend tax dollars on a school with plummeting enrollment. One little-reported fact in this whole story is that the roof being replaced was installed in 1991, which means it lasted only 18 years. Most roofs should last a minimum of 25 years. Oh what the heck, it’s only a couple of hundred thousand.

Washington County Sales Tax Revenue Falls

Some bad news here. The Post Star tells us that Washington County sales tax revenue is down.

Unreleased Jimi Hendrix Music Coming Soon

I don’t want to finish this post on a down note, so here’s good news from Beat Crave if you’re a Jimi Hendrix’s music lover.

Off to Prison

With so many people traveling yesterday and the weekend behind us, I thought it would make an interesting story to learn more about the Great Meadow Correctional facility in Comstock, which you can see from Route 4.

Great Meadow is an all male, maximum security, NY state prison. As of September 3, 2008 it was home to 1,663 inmates. When Great Meadow opened in 1911 it was the fourth prison for adult males constructed in the state of New York. The postcard below dates from the 1950’s.

Until the Great Meadows Correctional facility was built, New York prisons had been named after the places where they were built. No one knows how Great Meadow got its name, but it may have been named after the huge plot of land that the prison sits on.

In 1924 construction of a 3,000-foot wall was begun by the inmates. Four years later, they successfully finished walling themselves in. The wall encloses just over twenty-one acres. With the completion of this wall, Great Meadow became a maximum-security facility.

The wall has a moat/pond on one side and dense forest on the other, so if someone gets over or under the wall, it’s no easy escape into the surrounding area. The courtyard is always lit and guards always man the watchtowers.

Some other facts about life inside include:

Visitors go through the main doors with the flags in front. You will be buzzed through another door into the waiting area. You fill out the usual paperwork and present your id. If it is your first visit to a NYS prison, you will have to fill out a personal info sheet. You then take a seat in the room. The room has restrooms and its own vending machines. From there you will be allowed to enter.

There are two industries at Great Meadow. Metal Furniture Manufacturing, where office furniture, beds and security screens are manufactured. The other is Cleaning and Personal Care Products Manufacturing.

All prisoners there are felons, and most are serving sentences for violent crimes.

A prisoner can buy a small black-and-white television from the prison commissary and then pay for a very basic cable television connection. They can only listen to music through headphones.

The inmates can have 2 visitors on weekends at once – 4 per inmate during the week.

There are 717 employees and the cost of care is approximately $56.89 per day

Inmates spend a good portion of their day in a 5-foot-by-8-foot cell. Some are double-bunked, two to a cell.

Prisoners are given permission to go to work, school or the infirmary. As they move from cell block to cell block or pass the central rotunda, they flash their passes to show they can be out of their cells.

Correction officers only carry weapons in very extreme cases, and for the most part are unarmed.

Cameras and personal items are not allowed inside so you won’t see any pictures of inside the prison.

While NY has the death penalty there has not been an execution since 1976. There is currently a court ordered moratorium in effect. Many of the prisoners are serving life sentences there.

It certainly is the type of place that you’d see in the movies, except it’s a lot more ominous in person.

Bits of Everything

Man Wanted for Murder Arrested in Whitehall

The Post Star reports on an arrest made this week in Whitehall.

Triathlon Scheduled for October

The Adirondack Almanack reports on the Rogers Rangers Challenge triathlon scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd, in the area.

Study Shows Men Lose Their Mind Talking to Pretty Women

There is now proof! Beautiful women have an effect on men. Read about it in the Telegraph.

Now Becoming the Weak State: Business Must Now Pay Tax to Collect Sales Tax

Forget the empire state, we’ve become the tax state! This Times Union piece illustrates what NY has become.

Bits of Everything

The Road Less Traveled to Lake George

The Daily Gazette has an interesting story with directions to Shelving Rock from Fort Ann. This is a little known road that will bring you into a great spot overlooking Lake George.

The APA’s Wrong Opinion Will Cost Us

Denton Publications reports the latest with the Lewis family farm. In brief, the Lewis family has won their case against the Adirondack Park Agency and has now asked to be reimbursed for their legal fees.

Start of School Brings Flu Fear

Time had a good story about what may happen with the new strain of flu once school starts. This article also has a great graphic on how the H1N1 virus started.

An Interview with Father Flannery


Fr. Flannery, pastor of Our Lady of Hope in Whitehall and the Chapel of the Assumption in Huletts Landing, stands overlooking Lake George.

It was my great pleasure recently to get together with Fr. Michael Flannery who is pastor of Our Lady of Hope in Whitehall and the Chapel of the Assumption in Huletts Landing.

Father agreed to chat with me about a wide range of topics.

Father, one of the things I’ve noticed about you is that you have a wonderful sense of humor and people can really tell you enjoy being a priest. Could you tell our readers what you like most about being a priest?

“I love saying the Mass every day most of all, and it’s a wonderful privilege being involved in people’s lives. I get to see family life at so many different levels. Last week, I went from saying a funeral mass in the morning to doing a baptism in the afternoon. Usually baptisms are done on Sunday’s but this was a special case because the baby’s father was a soldier in Afghanistan. I honestly love it all except the administration. (Big laugh.) Our culture has become so secularized but the world will return to Christ someday, and I feel like I’m carrying the torch for future generations.”

Father, perhaps you could tell us about your own family growing up. I know your parents live nearby.

“Well, I lived on Long Island until I was 14 and then my family moved to Granville. My father worked as a general contractor and, for a short period starting in 1992, he worked as a corrections officer in Great Meadow corrections facility. Both my mother and my father attend my masses regularly and it’s nice to live close to them. I have one brother.”

That was probably a perfect segway to my next question. Is part of your “territory” Great Meadow corrections facility?

“Great Meadow actually falls within the boundary of Our Lady of Hope parish, but they have their own ministry office which is staffed by another priest. I do say Mass and hear confessions there occasionally though.”

Prisoners are largely a forgotten population. Could you tell our readers what it is like to walk into a prison as a member of the clergy?

“The inmates there actually are extremely respectful of the clergy. I have never had a problem. Their confessions are certainly not your typical confessions. I sense great remorse in speaking to prisoners and a great fear of the Lord. It’s not a show for them, it comes from the heart.”

Is it safe for you?

“I don’t think in those terms. There’s a large officer presence, but my job is to bring the Gospel message into the walls. God always takes care of the rest.”

Father could you share some about your education and the call to your vocation?

“The short story is this. There has never been a time in my life when I felt God wasn’t calling me, even as a young boy. My parents never mentioned becoming a priest to me. I thought at first I was being called to family life because I always wanted a big family. However, I began to feel that God was calling me to become a priest when I was a freshman at Siena.

I actually have a distinct moment when this happened. I was heading home on President’s Day weekend in 1989 and I told God, ‘I’ll be a priest if you want but I want a sign and you’ll have to break it to my parents’ because I knew if I became a priest they probably wouldn’t get any grandchildren because at that time my brother wasn’t the settling down type of guy.

I got home and I was standing in the kitchen and my mother said to me, ‘Have you ever considered becoming a priest?’ and I just knew. I cried tears of joy that night because in that very moment I knew God was speaking to me.

I went on to Wadhams Hall Seminary and then Catholic University. I have now been a priest for 12 years, and I have to say I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

Father what a wonderful story. What would you say to a young man or woman who is considering religious life today?

“Pope John Paul II said it best: “Be not afraid.” The biggest point I would make is that the lines our culture feeds you are all wrong. You’ll hear these thoughts: you’ll never be happy, you’ll be lonely, you’ll miss out on family life when in actuality it’s the reverse: You’ll have true joy, you won’t be lonely and you’ll have an extended family like you’d never expect. Don’t give in to the lines and the negative thoughts. They’re not true. Look where God has led me. He has called me to the clean waters of Lake George at Huletts Landing and the wonderful rolling hills of Washington County, probably one of the most beautiful areas in the entire world!”

Father I know in your travels you have been to many places. How does Huletts differ?

“Huletts is unique because there’s a core community there that doesn’t change but every week we have visitors and guests whom I really enjoy meeting. I look forward in the winter to seeing everyone again. It’s a community like none other.”

One last message for our readers?

“Please tell everyone, I pray for them all the time and I wish God’s abundant blessings on everyone. Always feel free to stop and chat, I enjoy meeting everyone and sharing in their life’s story.”

Bits of Everything

Star Trek Episode Shot at Fort Ticonderoga

The Times of Ti reports that the Klingons have invaded Fort Ticonderoga.

NBC’s Today Show coming to the Sagamore

The Times of Ti reports that on Monday the Today Show will be live from the Sagamore.

Washington County Fair to Host Rodeo

The Post Star reports that the Washington County Fair will host a rodeo this year.

NFL Giants Release Training Camp Schedule

The Giants released their training camp schedule in Albany. Read about autograph day also.

Support the Beach: T-Shirts Are In


We are happy to report that the Washington County Beach is now sellling t-shirts to raise money. They really look great! They are asking for a $10 donation for each shirt. They have youth sizes S-XL and adult sizes S-2XL. Get one quick, they’ll go fast.

Bits of Everything

Adirondacks Need Help

The Saratogian reports on a study that shows the Adirondack Park region needs economic revitalization. I’ve noticed recently that many local volunteer fire companies are starving for volunteers. This is a bad sign. This is all related to out of control taxes and extreme environmental regulations that are stemming growth of any kind. We live in an area where there is no cell phone or high-speed Internet available for the majority of the population. This is a perfect recipe for oblivion.

Post Star Advocates Taxation without Representation

The Post Star ran an editorial where they opine that Washington and Essex Countes should help pay for Warren County Boat patrols, even though the minute you step into the lake from the east shore you’re no longer in Washington County. The basic problem with this is that Washington and Essex Counties aren’t in Warren County. Why is it that everyone always wants our money and never wants to give us representation? An arrangement like this would quickly lead to political patronage jobs for Warren County which other counties would have to pay for and have no control to stop. Boos to the editors of the Post Star for encouraging tyranny. Here’s a response that will work better for Washington and Essex counties. Warren County should give us their sales tax revenue and any revenue they derive from the private islands in Lake George and we’ll decide if we want to pay for our own boat patrols!

Bits of Everything

County Looks to Shorten Recycling Center Hours

The Post Star reports that the Supervisors are considering cutting the budget by closing the Whitehall Recycling Center on Tuesday.

NY Giants Football & Knicks Basketball Preseason Camps To Be Held Locally

Both the Giants and the Knicks have announced they’re coming to the Albany and Saratoga areas respectively for their annual preseason training camps.

Support the Washington County Beach

sportsextravaganza
The Washington County Beach is hosting a sports extravaganza on July 18th at 6 pm. There will be a basketball, volleyball, horseshoe and tennis tournament to raise money for the beach.

In addition to this, they are also starting small group and private swim lessons soon.

Please consider supporting these activities. The Washington County Beach is a wonderful asset to the community.

Update: 11:30 am

Here is the flyer for the sports contest.

Here is the flyer for the swimming lessons.

Bits of Everything

Washington County May Cut Recycling Center Hours

The Post Star reports that the Washington County Board of Supervisors is considering cutting recycling center hours.

4th of July in Ticonderoga

Ticonderoga calls it the “Best Fourth in the North” celebration. The Times of Ti describes it here.