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Saturday,ÊM ayÊ14,Ê2016
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www.SunCommunityNews.com
In SPORTS | pg. 12
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Back in the swing of things
In OPINION | pg. 6
Cuisine Trail
Local teams play following Spring Break
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is a tasty idea for the region
Gov.Ê CuomoÊ signsÊ off Ê onÊ BoreasÊ PondÊ TractÊ acquisition
In MINERVA | pg. 2
Local student earns award
Taylor Feiden honored for volunteer efforts
Lending a hand
Structure demolitions scheduled to begin this summer By Pete DeMola
pete@suncommunitynews.com
NEWCOMB — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday the completion of the Boreas Ponds Tract acquisition to the state’s land holdings. With a shimmering Elk Lake framed by a ring of spruce trees as a backdrop, Cuomo formally announced the completion of the largest addition to the Adirondack Park in a century. “The soul of the state of New York is singing because of what we did today,” Cuomo said. The purchase of the 20,758-acre Boreas Ponds Tract, which is primarily located in North Hudson, is the final in a series of land purchases the state has completed since 2012. Working with the Nature Conservancy, 69,000 acres of land previously owned primarily by the former Finch Pruyn paper company have been conserved. Funds for the $14.5 million purchase came from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund. Frequently referred to as the “crown jewel” of the series of acquisitions, the Manhattan-sized tract contains a diverse spread of wildlife, from alpine-type summits to lowland forest. Cuomo called the “functionality” of the tract important, citing the connection between Casey Brook Tract and the High Peaks Wilderness Area. The acquisition, said the governor, marks the rare chance when government policy results in actions that make a permanent difference. “We didn’t inherit our planet from our parents, we’re borrowing it from our children,” Cuomo said, citing a Native American proverb. “Today we know we are leaving our children a better North Country, a better park, than we inherited. That, my friends, is the greatest accomplishment.” Removal of a number of structures on the tract is scheduled to begin this summer starting with a hunting lodge formerly used by company executives. A number of hunting camps will be demolished once their leases expire in 2018, said Mike Carr, executive director of the Nature Conservancy. >> See BOREAS | pg. 4
Folks from Our Town Theater Group were spotted along Main Street roadsides in North Creek Saturday, May 7. Wearing day-glo orange vests and hard hats, 12 OTTG volunteers put on gloves and took plastic bags and fanned out along the street, from its north end (junction with State Route 28) to the Veteran’s Memorial, about half way between the North Creek firehouse and Cunningham’s. Near the Veteran’s Memorial location, a sign indicates the start of the Our Town Theater Group Adopt-a-Highway stretch roadway. Photo Mike Corey
Milfoil removal underway in Minerva Diver Assisted Suction Removal process is new to the Adirondack Park By Christina Scanlon
christina@suncommunitynews.com
MINERVA — The three-man crew from Aqualogic Inc. prepared for the start of their day early Monday morning outside their Airstream Travel Trailer. They had spent the night in the camping area at Minerva Beach, as they intend to do for weeks to come. They were dressed appropriately for temperatures in the high 30s, which were expected to later reach the mid-50s. The wind was a bit chillier on their boat, a pontoon with a cover and specialized, soon-to-be-patented equipment. It’s the water temperature that might send shivers down your spine. Somewhere in the 40s wouldn’t seem especially enticing for most, but for this crew, it didn’t matter at all. “You have to love diving to do this,” said Dominic Jude,
company vice president. Jude would be entering the water first, part of the team on a mission to remove as much milfoil from the lake as possible. Wayne Kreiensieck would take the second shift diving, but oversee boat operations and safety until he and Jude swapped spots. Christian Bos would stay atop the water, in a role called tender. He would meticulously monitor the incoming material to the boat, suctioned from the bottom by the divers, through screens and filters before bagging it up for disposal. The method, called Diver Assisted Suction Removal, or DASH, is brand new to not only Minerva, but all bodies of water in the Adirondacks due to the recent approval of the Adirondack Park Agency. The boat skimmed along a short distance away, to an area protected somewhat by surrounding trees. The area was not particularly dense with the invasive, but it was a deliberate spot, picking up where the crew had left off last week. The water is about eight feet deep there, with plants >> See MILFOIL | pg. 9