Adirondack Journal 08-22-09

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ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS/ NEW MARKET PRESS

THIS WEEK Warrensburg ....................2-4 Lake George ......................5, 7 Opinion ..........................6 Outdoor ..........................8 Chester ..........................10-11 Calendar ........................14 Thurman ........................15 Bolton Landing ................16 Classified........................17

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August 22, 2009

Warrensburg

History

Have a seat

Local businessman attempts to secure historic landmark.

Brant Lake has a rich and diverse history just waiting to be explored.

Fanciful chairs will go to auction to benefit High Peaks Hospice.

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County to go ahead with Gaslight park project

By Thom Randall thom@denpubs.com LAKE GEORGE — In the middle of winter, Antonio Abrantes stood atop snow on the Lake George Recreation center and gazed over a near-abandoned ice rink and basketball courts, imagining it full of enthusiastic young football players, including his nine-year-old son. Just months later, Abrantes vision — his “field of dreams” — is now a reality after he and his friends and fellow youth football league members donated countless hours of labor and tens of thousands of dollars of materials and cash to the football field development project. Starting this past spring, Abrantes, a contractor, and his friends in the construction business, took action to create a premium football field for the Lake George community. Abrantes and workers demolished the outdoor rink and the deteriorating asphalt courts. They drove earth movers, grading the site. They felled some trees, and moved a former warming hut to an appropriate spot, renovating it for use as a concession stand. They hauled in 10,000 cubic yards of fill dirt, truckload by truckload. They brought in 800 to 900 cubic yards of topsoil, and spread it with care, for an even level surface. They relocated water and electrical lines. Then employees of Evergreen Landscaping hydroseeded the field, after which workers nurtured the turf with nutrients and regular watering. A set of professional goal posts were ordered and installed, and a

By Thom Randall thom@denpubs.com LAKE GEORGE — A $2.5 million grant launching the redevelopment of the former Gaslight Village property into an environmental park is now apparently on track. After lengthy debate, Warren County supervisors agreed Aug. 13 to collaborate with Lake George village and town officials in supplying seed money to leverage a pending $2.5 million federal grant for the park. County leaders had recently considered selling the 25-acre property to area environmental groups involved in the park project, which includes developing stormwater purifying wetlands at the site. But county leaders solidified their support for the project after considering the importance of retaining control over the 2.5-acre festival space in the park, located in the center of Lake George Village which annually hosts a wide variety of events that can use the grounds. “We spend a lot of money to promote tourism, and the groups that come here have to have a place to stage their events,” said William Kenny, Glens Falls Ward 5 Supervisor. “We have to retain control over that festival space.” Kenny said the festival grounds were vital to retaining events like Americade — which generates over 40 million for the area, as well as attracting new events. That location is priceless, with its view of the lake and the fact that it’s in the center of action,” he said. “Keeping that festival space is an important

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Lake George Youth Football coach Tony Abrantes — who spearheaded development and construction of the new Lake George Youth Football Field on the side of Prospect Mountain — coaches his 3rd- and 4th-grade team Friday at their initial practice. Assisting in coaching duties were John Kellaher, Richie Conte, Chris Collins and Todd Payton. Abrantes and others who developed the field have received considerable praise for their donated work. Photo by Thom Randall

sleek, full-featured scoreboard was erected. Friday, Lake George’s 3rd and 4th grade squad of the Adirondack Youth Football League was practicing on this new local football field in their first session of the season. The youngsters had healthy and smooth turf under their feet as they learned how to call a huddle, assemble at the line of scrimmage, and how to spring into action. Abrantes, coach of the squad,

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hold practices,” he said, noting that six or more local youth football teams are vying for playing time on the high school field. “Now, we have a field and we don’t have to encroach on others.” Also, the new field has easy access and spacious adjacent parking, both of which are rare or nonexistent through warm months in Lake George Village. Besides a world-class view,

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was calling the shots. “My son started playing football last year, so obviously I’m a fan of the sport,” he said. “We just needed a place to practice and play.” Abrantes said that the Lake George Youth Football teams needed field space, and that’s what prompted him to develop the field. “Too many people were sharing one field at Lake George High School, and it was to tough to

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