News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
The Whitehall Central School District Board of Education appointed Queensbury Elementary School principal Jessica Rossetti as its next superintendent effective July 1st. Ms. Rossetti was appointed to a one-year term by a unanimous voice vote of the school board at the May 4th board of education meeting. Ms. Rossetti stated that she “was excited to join this community and become a railroader.”
Congratulations to Ms. Rossetti on her appointment.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Whitehall school district will have the vote for next year’s school budget, a number of spending propositions and to elect four members to the school board. It will be held from noon to 8:00 pm in the Large Group Instruction Room in the Jr.-Sr. High School. The district is proposing a $22.558 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year with a proposed 2.00 % property tax increase. The proposal to buy land was voted down last year but is again on the ballot this year.
The school district has a link to the budget newsletter on their website with information for everyone: 2026 Budget Newsletter
I have been reporting on the enrollment figures of the district for many years. I cannot find the school’s enrollment listed for the 2025-2026 school year. Last year (2024-2025), the Whitehall School District had 636 total students.
To put this number of 636 students into historical context, I have updated my yearly enrollment chart below:
| School Year | 04-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | |
| Students | 885 | 860 | 858 | 845 | 815 | 779 | 753 | 742 | 755 | |
| School Year | 13-14 | 14-15 | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 | 19-20 | 20-21 | 21-22 | 22-23 |
| Students | 757 | 736 | 736 | 758 | 708 | 699 | 719 | 693 | 731 | 655 |
| School Year | 23-24 | 24-25 | ||||||||
| Students | 644 | 636 |
To put this in perspective, the Whitehall school district has now reached the lowest enrollment while simultaneously having the largest budget ($22.558 million) since I have been tracking this.
Many thanks to Emily for not allowing the new flower boxes in front of the Post Office to remain empty for long. She planted these today to give the front of the building some spring color. Please let her know what a great job she did.
This picture was taken from County Route 6 on Sunday morning, April 26, 2026. The lake has been calm the last two days and the grass has been growing and becoming green.
I’m happy to report that two new flower boxes have been installed on the front side of the Post Office. These replace the former flower boxes that were in need of replacement.
Now we just need some warmer weather.
Due to the Town Supervisor position and two town board member seats being vacant, the Dresden Town board is unable to meet for the regular scheduled town board meeting on April 13th. There is no quorum, so no town business can be conducted.
Update:
The Sewer District # 1 meeting scheduled for Monday April 13th is also canceled.
A tree frog seen in Huletts Landing.
On March 20th, frog supporters worldwide celebrate and plan to take action for amphibians. This leap towards conservation helps highlight the vital role frogs play in our ecosystem and educates the next generation on the importance of their survival. We are blessed to have many different types of frogs in Huletts.
It’s no surprise that when the air temperature starts to warm and the ground thaws that a “spring awakening” occurs and populations start to move. For most frogs, this migration pattern leads them to crossing roads to get to their destination: a vernal pool. When they encounter roads and driveways mortality from vehicles can be high. The New York State Department of Conservation strides to educate and provide safe and rewarding volunteer experiences to assist in amphibian migration. See the following links to learn more about frogs and support native habitats:
Protect habitats by buying a habitat and access stamp.
Educate yourself by reading Frogs and Toads of NYS – Conservationist Centerfold (PDF)
All New York native amphibians are protected by New York State law, and cannot be harmed or collected.
This photo of the Mountain Grove Memorial Church, taken on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, shows winter’s grip is receding. The last few days of warmer weather has melted much of the snow. The ground is reappearing from below the lessening snow piles and the ice on the lake is also getting much thinner.
Before we know it, it will be spring.
The Dresden Town Board held two meetings in February.
A memo produced by the New York state Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) regarding the exploding costs associated with the state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) outlines what those costs could be:
“Absent changes, by 2031, the impact of CLCPA on the price of gasoline could reach or exceed $2.23 per gallon on top of current prices at that time; the cost for an MMBtu of natural gas $16.96; and comparable increases to other fuels. Upstate oil and natural gas households would see costs in excess of $4,000 a year, and New York City natural gas households could anticipate annual gross costs of $2,300. Only a portion of these costs could be offset by current policy design.”
.@GovKathyHochul admin making case to scale back 2019 climate law, @NYSERDA argues NYers’ gasoline & home gas prices could jump an av $4k annually upstate & $2,300 in NYC.
“There is a lack of market capacity to deliver the volume of renewable energy” EV sales, heat pumps etc. pic.twitter.com/88nbp16PSB
— Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) February 26, 2026
Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) issued the following statement concerning the leaked NYSERDA memo outlining the exorbitant implementation costs of the CLCPA:
“The leaked memo from Governor Hochul’s handpicked head of NYSERDA is a bombshell and a scathing indictment of the CLCPA.
“Because of it, Upstate New Yorkers can expect their energy costs to rise an average of $4,000 per household and gas prices can rise to over $5 a gallon as a direct result of these green energy policies. These numbers, which come directly from NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris, highlights the reality of what my Senate Republican Conference colleagues and I have been saying for years: The CLCPA is going to drive up costs and crush our families and small businesses.
“What’s even worse is that in a recent City & State article, Senate Democrats made it clear that they have no intentions of making any changes to the unaffordable and unfeasible CLCPA in the upcoming budget.
“At a time when, according to a recent Marist poll, one-in-three New Yorkers plan to move out of the state due to the escalating cost of living, perhaps my colleagues on the other side of the aisle should reconsider their position and put an end to the failing CLCPA mandates.”
During the summer of 2023, an engineer’s study was conducted on the overall health and status of Sewer District #1 in Huletts Landing.
I can now report that the final report has been concluded and released to the public.
The report is quite long and the file is large but it can be accessed on the Town’s website here.
Because the study was funded by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation and the Department of Conservation with a NYS Engineering Planning Grant, items identified may be open for further funding.
I post here a a short farewell letter to the residents of Dresden, from former Town Supervisor Charlie Tall. He reports on the work that was done during his 15 months of service and thanks people for the opportunity to serve.
A picture of the Huletts Landing Chapel of the Assumption from Friday, February 6, 2026. There is still a good amount of snow on the ground in Huletts. (Click image to see larger view.)
A photo of the stream protected as part of the “Spruce Mountain Addition” acquisition. (Click image to see larger image.)
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) purchased 160 acres near Huletts Landing in the Town of Dresden on January 29. The “Spruce Mountain Addition” has more than 1,100 feet of stream corridor within the Lake George watershed, including the headwaters of a tributary that flows into Lake George.
The mostly forested property adjoins the 488-acre Spruce Mountain, protected by the LGLC 1996 and currently owned by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This land, in turn, shares a boundary with the LGLC’s Leeming Jelliffe Preserve close to the lake’s shoreline in Huletts Landing. Together, this connected stretch of land provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, including the timber rattlesnake, a threatened species in New York State.
LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn said, “In addition to safeguarding the water quality of Lake George, this region of the watershed provides important resources for wildlife. By connecting parcels together, we are expanding the safe areas through which wildlife can roam and thrive.”
“I want to thank the landowners,” Horn continued, “for working with the LGLC to permanently protect this land, ensuring that the forests and streams will forever remain wild, protecting everything we love about Lake George and this whole region.”
The LGLC will develop a management plan to address past disturbances and improve forest health. At this time, the Spruce Mountain Addition does not have public access for recreation.