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Bits of Everything

High Voltage Cable Inspector: Shock Video

Don’t want to be electrocuted? Make sure you’re not grounded. This is a great video which shows the life of a high voltage cable inspector. You’ll have to click the link because embedding is disabled.

Road Salt Toxic to Adirondacks

Looks like there is more evidence of the harmful environmental effects of road salt, the Adirondack Almanack reports. Once again, true environmental protection has nothing to do with taking people’s private property rights away.

Court Rules Class Action Against Washington County Can Move Forward

The Post Star reports on a potential liability for Washington County.

Have a Good Outdoor Story? Tell the DEC

The Adirondack Almanack reports on a fun contest.

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Bits of Everything

NY Times: Cuomo Wants to Cap Property Taxes

The NY Times has a good analysis of Andrew Cuomo’s tax cap plan with an illustration that shows how school spending is the contributing factor.

How Much is The Trash Plant Worth?

The Post Star looks at how much the Hudson Falls Trash plant could fetch the county.

Man Made Wetlands Coming

The Post Star reports that demolition began at Gaslight Village this week.

Bloomberg Glad He Saddled State with OTB

The NY Post reports that Mayor Bloomberg of NY City is happy he pawned OTB off on the state.

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Bits of Everything

Washington County Deals with Budget

The Post Star reports on Washington County’s budget (with a small tax increase) for next year. The Wash Blog breaks down how the supervisors voted.

NY State Does NOT Deal with Budget

The Press Republican reports that the Legislature decided not to address a $315 million budget deficit in its special session Monday.

France Grants Asylum for Iraqi Christians

Aljazerra reports on the fate of some Iraqi Christians. According to the Guardian, this is what Pakistan does to Christians.

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Bits of Everything

Washington County Proposed Budget: Tax Increase Smaller / Transfer Stations Open

The Wash Blog has a quick synopsis of Washington County’s finance committee meeting this past week.

Counties Fear State Mandates

North Country Public Radio has a great piece on how state mandates drive up property taxes.

Medicaid is the big cost. But when all the mandates are added together, counties wind up spending 90 percent of their tax-revenue on things that Albany is making them do.

Steve LaVigne with the state Association of Counties. “Medicaid alone costs property taxpayers over $7 billion a year. So if the state were to take over full fiscal responsibility for the Medicaid program, the counties could begin to reduce the property tax,” LaVigne argued.

Vermont @ Siena / Local Schools Tip Off Tonight

For all our college basketball fans, a fun local game previewed here on the Saints Blog.

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Bits of Everything

NY Times Interview with Cuomo

The NY Times recently conducted an interview with Andrew Cuomo.

Trash Plant Contract to end Soon

The Post Star did a fairly in-depth piece documenting Washington County’s trash plant woes. The trash plant has cost taxpayers of Washington County a lot of money during its history.

Remembering Huletts

The Adirondack Almanack recounts some old memories of Huletts.

Think Big: Some Spectacular Shots of the Solar System

Boston.com has some stunning shots of our universe.

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Bits of Everything

Medicaid & Pensions Bust Budget: Wash County Looks at 18% Tax Rise

The Wash Blog looks at Washington County’s proposed budget for next year. It doesn’t look good.

5 Towns Claim Navy Started There

Yahoo News reports that 5 different towns lay claim to being the birthplace of the US Navy. (Hat tip to Jason Weeber for the link.)

Scientists Look for Common Threats

Lake George and Lake Tahoe Researchers look at common threats, says the Adirondack Almanack.

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Voting Absentee

Please know that the General Election is fast approaching. Here is how to obtain an absentee ballot if you are registered to vote in NY state.

Qualifications to Vote by Absentee Ballot:

Absent from your county or, if a resident of the city of New York absent from said city, on Election Day;
unable to appear at the polls due to illness or disability;

A patient in a Veterans’ Administration Hospital;

Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony;

How to Vote by Absentee Ballot

Applications for Absentee Ballots are available at your county board of elections.

You may also download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form. ( 261KB)

Upon completion, applications must be mailed to your county board no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election.

You may also request an Absentee Ballot by sending a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must be received by your county board no earlier than 30 days and no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information:

the address where you are registered
an address where the ballot is to be sent
the reason for the request, and
the signature of the voter

An application form will be mailed with your ballot. The application form must be completed and returned with your ballot.

Washington County Board of Elections
383 Broadway
Fort Edward, NY 12828

Phone: 518-746-2180
Fax: 518-746-2179

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Bits of Everything

Transfer Stations Could Be Cut?

The Post Star reports on Washington County’s planning regarding their transfer stations.

Campers Organize

The Lake George Mirror tells us that island campers have formed their own advocacy group to protest the proposed garbage rules on Lake George islands.

Lake George Beach Closed by Fuel Spill

Shepard Park has had a rough go the last two years. A fuel spill closed the beach according to the Post Star (with video).

How Does Colorado Compare to the Adirondacks?

The Adirondack Almanack has a great post on how Colorado is different from the Adirondacks.

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Bits of Everything

Post Star Editorial: No Reason to Delay Cell Tower

The Post Star Editorial Board released an editorial dedicated to the Huletts Fire Department’s application for a cell tower.

Garbage Collection on Lake George Islands to End

The Adirondack Almanack spotlights a major change in DEC policy.

Union Rejects Washington County Furlough Plan

A vote by the highway department union is a precursor to less state aid? Read the Post Star piece.

Sometimes You Need a Good Laugh: But Not This Much

An interesting article on Wikipedia about death by laughter. What a way to go!

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Bits of Everything

NY State Runs Out of Cash

The NY Post reports on what the state Comptroller says.

Alan Jackson to Appear in Glens Falls

Country artist Alan Jackson is booked to appear at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Sept. 11, says the Post Star.

You Knew Your National Grid Bills Were High

The Adirondack Almanack does a great investigative piece on what the Public Service Commission auditors found.

YMCA Camp on Lake George Proposes Dock for Disabled

See some great drawings of what Camp Chingachgook in Fort Ann is proposing in the Wash Blog.

Underwater Electric Cable from Canada to NY City Moving Forward

The Bottom Line Blog talks about the proposed electric cable down the Hudson.

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Bits of Everything

Rogers Ranger Challenge: Fort Ann to Lake George

Are you up to the Rogers Rangers Challenge? Find out what it is on the Adirondack Almanack.

Info-graphic: Teens and Their Mobile Phones

Here’s a great graphic from Flowtown showing how teens use their cell phones.

Lawns on Lake George Face Scrutiny

The Post Star reports on manicured lawns and Lake George.

Webcam: Bald Eagles in their Nest

The Eagles of Hornsby Island webcam stays focused on a Bald Eagle nest in British Columbia.

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New Book About Local Archaeology


Dr. David Starbuck, has authored a new book, Excavating the Sutlers’ House: Artifacts of the British Armies in Fort Edward and Lake George.

University Press of New England has just published a new book which details the excavations of Dr. David Starbuck and his associates and colleagues.

It focuses on Rogers Island in Fort Edward, and Fort William Henry and the Lake George Battlefield Park in Lake George. It’s a great local history, which is very well done.

In 1996, on the East bank of the Hudson River, Starbuck’s team discovered the remarkable remains of a sutlers’ (or merchants’) house which had supplied goods to the British armies throughout the late 1750’s.

It retails for $24.95 and can be purchased from University of New England Press.

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Maple Season Almost Over


These maple taps, attached to trees near Pike Brook road, are almost finished producing syrup for this year.

Some people may not realize that there are many small producers of maple syrup right here in the Town of Dresden. If you go for a ride toward Ticonderoga or even down Pike Brook road, you will see the taps attached to the trees and the syrup flowing in plastic lines down to bigger drums where it is collected to be heated.

This season is almost over because of the warmer weather and the buds appearing on the trees. (Once the buds appear, the syrup gets a bitter taste to it.) However, I took a ride recently and here were some taps that I could see right from the road.

So the next time you have your pancakes, you might pause and consider that your syrup might have come out of some trees in Dresden!