Monthly Archives: September 2012

Guest Editorial by Jon G. Kirschner, Woodgate

Controversy surrounds judge’s White Lake rights decision

The Weekly Adirondack accurately reported New York State Justice Bernadette T. Clark’s June 29 ruling against the White Lake Shores Association (WLSA), ordering the removal of a gate that has been contested for a generation. At the heart of the civil lawsuit (CA2011-002016) was an objection by six named plaintiffs to the gate that was upgraded and improved in 2011 by WLSA on their property known as Beach “A”, directly adjacent to the White Lake Inn.

The judge’s ruling is currently under appeal.

The article contained a quote from a 1926 letter to the Utica Daily Press in which the original grantor said he intended to guarantee public access to the lake from across the property. In doing so, the article exposes the basis of the controversy.

Is Beach “A” a public boat launching site, making it available for free commercial gain, or is White Lake essentially private, as all properties surrounding it are privately held?

Access to the lake for the 234 deeded properties and 50 associate members of WLSA from the surrounding area is guaranteed according to current covenants.

WLSA President, Frank Fellone, recently stated that “our primary purpose is to honestly represent offshore residents within the 400 acre tract of land surrounding White Lake in the best interest of the community as a whole. It was never the intention of WLSA to obstruct any resident or associate member from access to the lake. The purpose of the gate was to improve the existing Woodgate Fire Lane and to provide a boat launching site that was safer and more easily managed. It also served as a reminder that Beach ‘A’ is not a public launch site.” Continue reading →

Share Button

She Walked through Our Lives

We have all read “Foot-prints in the Sand.” Kirsty Sutherland left her footprints in our hearts.

Whether it was her smile that could overwhelm a rainbow, or her laughter that could drown out the thunder, Kirsty’s presence was absorbed in each and every one of use who knew her.

Whether you knew her for a day, a week, a month, or 30 years, that spirit, love of live and family resonates in our hearts.

God bless Kirsty, her family, and the friends she left behind.

Deb Lynch, Old Forge

Share Button

Mark Forsell retires from Long Lake Highway Dept.

Mark Forsell of Raquette Lake

Mark Forsell of Raquette Lake will retire from the Town of Long Lake Highway Department on Friday, September 28 after 35 years of service.

Over the many years of his service, Forsell has plowed snow, shoveled sand, cut brush and kept the roads of Raquette Lake accessible to town residents alongside his many co-workers, including Charlie Bird, Gene Darling, Sr., Murray Lamphear, Wayne Kavanaugh and Tom Murdock.

According to his family, he is looking forward to sleeping in, fishing at his favorite spots, hunting everyday of the season, and just kicking back.

All family and friends are invited to a party in his honor that will be held at the family home at 291 Poplar Point Road on Sunday, October 7 beginning at 1 p.m. No gifts please.

Share Button

Cast members and volunteers sought for upcoming Nutcracker performance

Sue Ann Lorenz-Wallace, President and Artistic Director and Linda Lorenz LaDue, Vice-President of The Old Forge Ballet Company announce that casting has begun for the Company’s annual “Nutcracker” ballet.

Performances will take place at the Strand Theatre in Old Forge on Saturday, December 1  at 2 and 7 p.m.

Company dancers welcome dancers and performers from the Adirondack community to complete the cast of Tchaikovsky’s two-act ballet Casse-Noisette (Nutcracker).

Adults and teenage male and female performers are needed for Act 1, the Party Scene.

Children of all ages but particularly boys ages five years and older are needed for the Act 1 Battle Scene.

Rehearsals are required and a fee of $35 per participant is charged.

Also, dancers and participants who want to take more extensive roles may enroll in the School of the Old Forge Ballet Company for the fall term only.

Community members who are interested in helping backstage and in pre-performance preparation are needed.

Assistance with costume construction and alterations, scene painting and construction, technical support, stage manager, stage hands, set-up and striking, hair and makeup and dressing room attendance would be greatly appreciated.

Further information and sign up is available by contacting Sue Ann Lorenz-Wallace at (315) 369-8721 or oldforgeballet@roadrunner.com; or Linda Lorenz LaDue at 369-6273 or linda_ladue@hotmail.com.

Share Button

Herr-Story by Charlie Herr

Fulton Chain Steamers II: Crosby Transportation Company Years

1896–1901: Part Three

Millionaires such as J. P. Morgan and Collis Huntington owned great camps in the Raquette Lake region, and they needed access to Dr. Webb’s railroad for ready transit to New York City offices.

Morgan was tired of driving stages from Camp Uncas at breakneck speed to Big Moose Station and/or waiting for steamers to reach the Fulton Chain station.

Huntington used the series of carries and steamers from Inlet to Brown’s Tract Inlet to reach Pine Knot.

No direct highway then existed from Inlet to Raquette Lake.

During 1898 and 1899, Huntington built a railroad using the initial line of John Dix’s lumber road to Rondaxe Lake and obtained legislative and regulatory approvals for a public line that removed the necessity for the public to suffer from the inefficiencies of the lines owned by the Old Forge Company.

The state railroad commission’s approval stated that public convenience and necessity required its construction.

After failing to prevent the railroad’s enabling legislation from being passed, the Old Forge Company recognized that travelers could stay one station further north on the Mohawk & Malone, disembark at Clearwater Station and use this new line to reach Fourth Lake camps, Eagle Bay, Inlet or Raquette Lake without using any of the Company’s services.

To survive, the Old Forge and the Crosby Transportation Companies, the primary opposition to the railroad legislation, had no choice but to file for an injunction to prevent its opening to the public.

At the end of 1899, they sued the railroad and its individual directors for damages and sought to stop the railroad for the following reasons: Continue reading →

Share Button

Talkin’ Code With Andrew Getty

Consider drawing on professionals for property diagrams

Surveys, Plot Plans and Sketches…

The true value of a properly done, signed and certified land survey showing all building, structures, driveways, shoreline features, potential encroachments, sheds, fences, septic system areas or any other type of development is so misunderstood.

It is amazing how so many applications for new buildings, or additions to existing ones, come into the Code Office without a good survey.

One of the first items, in the instructions, on the applications is to provide a survey.

But, just like in school, few people actually read the instructions.

As an example, when an application for a new house, or even additions or accessory structures, are received in the Code Office, the first thing we look for is the survey.

The location of the structure must be verified.

Minimum distances from all property lines, roads and shorelines need to be clearly identified.

Any existing structures that may already be there also need to be shown because there are minimum distances required between structures.

All too often attached to the application is a rough sketch of the lot, and hand drawn in is the location of the proposed new house.

No dimensions of any kind are shown and those are clearly not even close to scale.

The more sophisticated applicant will do some sort of computer-generated plot plan, using fancy colors showing different things and then assume that this office will just accept it, because it looks official as compared to a hand-drawn sketch.

The situation ends up dictating whether or not we can accept such a plot plan. Continue reading →

Share Button

Mykel Pepper & Mike Sapienza wed

Mykel Pepper happily married Michael Sapienza on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at The Rabbit Room in the Historic Lower Mill in Honeyoye Falls, NY. Pastor Lawrence Bartel officiated, with family and friends in attendance for the celebration.

Mykel grew up in Old Forge where she was a familiar face working for Mr. and Mrs. Apple at the Farm Restaurant, and for Kathy and Paul Rivet at Five Corners Café during her college years.

She attended Nazareth College in Pittsford where she received her Masters in Music Education. She is currently teaching 5th and 6th grade General Music and Chorus in the East Rochester School District. She also moonlights as a waitress at The Melting Pot in Rochester. Continue reading →

Share Button