Don Kelly of Old Forge received the Fulton Chain of Lakes Association (FCLA) Outstanding Service Award during the Skull Island Restoration Project last August.
The award is the highest honor presented by FCLA to a director who has made a significant contribution to the association.
Although he has chaired many committees and helped with many projects, the Skull Island Restoration Project is a favorite.
“Skull Island was one of the things that really got me excited last year. We put a little story in the paper and invited anyone who was interested to come and help with the restoration. A lot of people were waiting for us when we got there,” he said.
And that was just the start, as Kelly described how the volunteers worked together to help alleviate the erosion of the island, a popular stop for boaters.
Kelly became involved with FCLA during his 14-year position as Town of Webb Codes Enforcement Officer.
The FCLA, a non-profit group dedicated to protecting the quality of the Fulton Chain of Lakes, originated the dye testing program along the Fulton Chain.
When the town started funding the program, one of Kelly’s duties was to supervise the individual who performed the dye testing.
“That’s how I got to know everyone at FCLA,” he said.
When he left the Codes Enforcement position in 2000 for a teaching job at Mohawk Valley Community College, FCLA asked him to become a board member. He’s been involved ever since.
Kelly served two terms as FCLA’s president-from 2006 to 2010-and has been a member of the Board of Directors for more than 10 years.
He and his wife Naomi have lived in Old Forge for 25 years where they raised their four children: Sarah, Katie, BJ and Margaret, who are all graduates of the Town of Webb School.
His other contributions on behalf of FCLA include helping with the organization’s booth at the Annual Antique Boat Show, where aquatic plant samples are dropped off for analysis.
