Shore Lines The Saratoga Lake Association

P.O. Box 2152

Ballston Spa, NY 12020

www.saratogalake.org

http://www.facebook.com/saratogalake/

www.saratogalakecam.com

December 14, 2016

Editors: Julie Annotto Sharon Urban

sinnidi@aol.com urbans@nycap.rr.com

Wrapping Up A Message from the President

As we just celebrated Thanksgiving and are approaching the Holiday Season, I am very grateful to all of you who have shown your passion for our lake by renewing your membership. I am especially thankful for my fellow Board members, Committee Chairs, Co-editors and all of our volunteers who make the Saratoga Lake Association what it is. I also want to give a shout-out to Debra LaMay for allowing the Board to continue to meet in her insur-ance agency office. Thanks to Carol Dooley and Cathy McKenna for co-chairing the Holiday Party at Longfellow’s. Kudos to the entire events committee and thanks to Neal Kramer for taking all of the photographs. Thanks also to Bob Guillerault for discussing safety tips for ice fishing. Every-one seemed to have an enjoyable evening and it was great to be able to send time with all of the attendees. Our 2017 membership campaign is ongoing so please encourage your friends and neighbors who are not already members to join. As an all volunteer organization, we are only as successful as our members. On behalf of my fellow Board members, I wish you a Holiday Season filled with Happiness and a New Year filled with Health. Enjoy your time with your loved ones. All my best, Alan

Saratoga Lake Photo Contest The SLA will be running a photo contest early next year in memory of Robert (Bob) Eastman, who suddenly passed away in 2016. Bob was an ardent photographer and served tirelessly on the

SLA Board of Directors, most recently as Vice President. He was a genuine “can do” type of guy. Bob was a great individ-ual with a gentle soul and incredible integrity. His counsel, wisdom and leadership skills were exceptional and he was very well liked by everyone. Bob made many contributions to the Saratoga Lake Association and will be sorely missed. Many of his photos have appeared both on the SLA Face-book page and in our newsletter, Shore Lines. He headed SLA efforts to tackle many challenging situations.

Bob’s professional skill set included contract negotiation and implementation, navigating complex political situations, press/media relations, government relations, and project management. In addition to the Saratoga Lake Association, Bob generously volunteered his time, talents and efforts to many other charitable and worthwhile causes. Photos related in some way to Saratoga Lake will be sub-mitted in early 2017, probably starting January. Review your photo files and take new photos to get ready. Look for de-tails on system readiness and contest rules in Shore Lines and the SLA Facebook page. Up to 3 digital photo entries total will be accepted from any SLA member in any calendar year. Three prizes will be awarded each year, one for a spring/summer photo, and one for a fall/winter photo, and one for a general entry. (submitted by Board Member Tom Bonds)

Because you Asked Some of our members asked us if we know what is going to be built nearby Malta Emergent Care as it looks like in-frastructure is in progress. Julie contacted the planning office and asked for information. Floria Huizinga, Plan-ning Technician for the Town of Malta replied: The infrastructure (road and utilities) was installed for potential future development. In June, the Planning Board approved a site plan for independent Senior housing. However, the project has been placed on hold by the developer. When any more information comes our way, we will share it with our readers.

Route 9P Waterfront Corridor Study Approved

A grant for an upcoming Route 9P Waterfront Corridor study has been approved. This is in very early stages and will go through many phases and will cover such items as traffic flow, pavement conditions and safety. The study will include public comments, several public workshops, recom-mendations and implementation and funding. As we receive information on this upcoming plan, we will inform our readers.

Have you renewed your membership to SLA? Our membership year begins on January 1 and ends December 31. We must receive your membership dues prior to February 15, 2016 in order for you to continue receiving SLA communications. If you have not sent your membership dues in, please do so by February 15, 2016. We wouldn’t want you to miss any news from the Shore Lines. Thank you to everyone who has sent their membership forms in already. (Judith Banks, Membership Chair)

Page 2 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

From the Saratoga Springs Mayor’s Office

The Regional Economic Development Council award-ed Saratoga Springs $1.3 M toward Greenbelt Trail.

Mayor Yepsen was in attendance at the Regional Eco-nomic Development Council Award Event hosted by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The total amount allocated was $70 M to 10 districts for which the Capital Regional district was awarded $81.3 M as a Top Performer and Saratoga Springs will receive $1.13 of that for the Sarato-ga Greenbelt Downtown Connector Trail Project. Con-gratulations to all who made this grant complete.

Dock Brown’s not just a summer hangout…. Sunday Brunch 10:00 am-2:00 pm Live Entertainment Every Thursday, 6-9:00 pm New menu will be launched on January 1. Winter Carnival: We will be hosting Winter Carnival

Events on Saratoga Lake this Winter. Tentative Date for Electric City Motor Race is Sunday 1/29, permit-ting lake is frozen. We will be hosting an Ice Bar on weekends this winter as well. Start date TBD and will depend on Weather.

BE MERRY-SMILE FOR THE CAMERA. Capture some holiday photos and share them with Shore Lines. How about your favorite or unexpected gift, a new pet, excited children, or holiday decorations. Soooo many possibilities. Share news, events, information, New Years resolutions, wish list, issues of concern, travel tales and/or your favorite Christmas memories. Submit to Julie at sinnidi@aol.com by noon on January 5th.

A Short but Interesting bit of news about the water line …

Thanks to the efforts of Mike Johnson, 700 Route 9P, and many others, the Saratoga Glen Water Company is managing a small project to extend a water service line from 678 Route 9P to 708 Route 9P.

The project is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. This service line will be looped back to our water main at Jib Drive in the fu-ture. The water main to the PDD at Jib Drive is currently being redesigned by the developer, Mr. Victor Gush. (submitted by Tom Orsini)

The Holiday Match program set another record in 2015, as Stewart’s customers donated $870,000; a $100,000 in-crease over 2014. Those donations were doubled to more than $1.74 million with the Stewart’s match, with checks sent to more than 1,570 children’s charities. In all, custom-ers have helped Stewart’s Shops contribute more than $22 million to thousands of local children’s organizations since 1986. Donations to Stewart’s Holiday Match began on Thanksgiving Day and will run through Christmas Day across its 336 shop locations in update New York and southern Vermont. Stewart’s Shops then matches individu-al customer donations. All the money donated goes to char-ity; there are no administrative costs. The funds are allocat-ed in March. To apply for funding, local children’s organizations are encouraged to apply online at stewartsshops.com. Paper applications are also available at shops. The deadline for submission is Jan. 31, 2017. All groups applying must be locally based, benefit children under 18, and be a qualified, charitable 501c3 organization. A brochure listing all the local organizations that received funds last season will also be available in all Stewart’s Shops and at stewartsshops.com.

Stewart’s Holiday Match campaign

Stillwater Area Community Center Our annual tree lighting and FREE Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, December 17th from 9-11am. Come enjoy a morning of breakfast, a visit with Santa and other activi-ties for the children.

Biddy Ball is a 6-week, beginner basketball program for children ages 4-7. Program dates are Saturday morning 9-10am starting January 7th- Feb 11th. Participants will learn the fundamentals of basketball in a fun, informal atmosphere led by volunteer coaches. Each participant will receive a t-shirt to wear during the program and will re-ceive a participation medal on the last day of program. Registration forms are available in the Main Hallway at the Stillwater Area Community Center. Online forms are available on our website.

Pitney Meadows Community Farm Saratoga Springs City Council approved the Conservation Easement between the City and Pitney Meadows Communi-ty Farm, Inc. at the Council Meeting on November 15, 2016. This Conservation Easement provides that the prop-erty remains predominantly in its open and scenic state and be available for agricultural, forestry, wildlife habitat, water resource protection, educational, and other open space uses and purposes. (Submitted by the Saratoga Springs Mayor’s Office)

Page 3 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

The Friends of the Library are looking for any bakers interested in donating a batch of Christmas Cookies for the Cookie Walk this year. Cookies must be deliv-

ered to the library by 3:00 pm Friday, Decem-ber 16th. They will be available for sale at $5 per box at the 19th annual Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 17th from 9 am-11:00 am at the Stillwater Community Center.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Bolton

Page 4 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

The Holiday Party at Longfellow’s Restaurant Thursday, December 8, 2016

On a cold night in December, the Events Committee held their annu-al Holiday party at Longfellow’s. The white lights and décor at Long-fellow’s looked great and put everyone in a Holiday mood. Bob Guillerault spoke to us about Ice Fishing on the lake this Winter. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and spent the night catching up with old friends, meeting new people, and dancing to DJ Al Aumenta. It was an enjoyable, relaxing way to celebrate the upcoming holidays !

The Events Committee thanks you for coming and

Wishes all of you a Peaceful, Healthy & Happy New Year !

Darlene Zeh and Carol Dooley

Front: Cathy McKenna, Sheryl Camardo, Maureen Fanniff Back: Lorraine Morabito, Mary Desantis, Nadine Kramer

Neal Kramer, Tom Lochner, Pete Hanson, Gaye and Joe Higgins, Laura and Bob Guillerault, Nadine Kramer and Judith Banks.

SLA President Alan Richer, Gerry and Ken Kakaty,

Jessica Richer and Pete Hanson

Page 5 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

Left: Dan

Brooks and

Nancy Gifford

Jessica Richer, Neal Kramer and Alan Richer

Carol Dooley and Cathy McKenna George and Lorraine Morabito, Mary Desantis

and Amitah Jain

Chuck Van

Vorst and

guest, Sheila

and Board

Member John

Gibson, and

Cal Ambrosy

Sheryl Camardo, Maureen and Sean Fanniff

Bob and Cathy McKenna

Art and Maureen Maciariello and Dianne Fedoronko

Page 6 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

Nadine Kramer and Gaye Higgins

Page 7 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

Mary Desantis, Sheryl Camardo, Lorraine Morabito,

Mary Kay Greenfield, Karen Mattson and Darlene Zeh

Alan Richer and Cathy McKenna

Sheryl Camardo, Karen Mattson, Maureen Fanniff

and Pete Hanson.

Board Member Michelle Merola, Judy and Board Member Tom

Bonds, Board Member Jim and Karen Flynn, Nikki Flynn and

Jim Flynn, Jr.

Page 8 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

We’d like to thank Neal Kramer for the great

photographs. He certainly captured the night.

Keith Brookins and Eileen Harran

Maureen Fanniff and Neal Kramer

John and Suzanne Mitchell, Jon and Suzanne Deisem,

Fran McGee and Bob Gulotty

Laura Guillerault and Judith Banks

The legend of La Befana

Like children everywhere, Italian kids look forward to the arrival of the red-suited Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve. How-ever, this relatively modern tra-dition pales in comparison to the anticipation generated by

the arrival of an old witch in early January. On Epiphany Eve, the old, tattered and soot-covered Befana flies around the world on a broomstick and comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children who have been good during the year. For those who have fallen a bit short of model behavior, la Befana will leave lumps of coal. (Realizing that no one can be perfect for a whole year, these days la Befana often leaves a sweet “lump of coal” made from black sugar.) La Befana has been an Italian tradition since the XIII century and comes from Christian legend rather than popular culture. The story is that la Befana was ap-proached by the Three Wise Men who asked her to lead them to the stable where the baby Jesus lay in a manger. La Befana was too busy cleaning her house at the time, so she declined the offer to go with them. Very soon she realized that she had made a huge mis-take, so she gathered up a bag full of gifts and set off alone in search of the baby Jesus. Though she followed the same star as the Magi, she was unable to find the stable. Undaunted, la Befana continues to travel the world over to this day searching every house for the Christ child. On January 6, the first day of Epiphany, Italian children hold their breaths as they search their stockings for a sign that they have been good that year. The arrival of la Befana is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone (a Christmas cake) and marks the end of the long and festive holiday season in Italy.

Ingredients 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 1/4 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup dried currants 1/4 cup raisins 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar tablespoon butter, melted (optional) 1. In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water and sugar. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms into a manageable ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky. (May need up to 5 cups flour.) Place dough in a large, lightly pan-sprayed bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and spray a round 8-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, toss dried fruit with confectioners' sugar. Punch down dough in bowl, transfer to floured surface, and knead in the fruit. 3. Form dough into a ball, place in prepared cake pan, cover loosely with dish towel, and let rise 30 minutes. (Loaf will rise above the pan sides.) Brush with melted butter, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and a tooth-pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 10 wedges.

Italian Pannetone "This traditional Italian Christmas bread is suited for dessert, afternoon tea or breakfast. Enjoy!"

Page 9 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

In the last edition of Shore Lines, we invited our readers to submit any holiday traditions they may have grown up with. Traditions vary all over the world and it’s up to our generation to pass these along to our children. Since we didn’t hear from you, Julie decided to share a tradi-tion in her family. Julie’s father emigrated from Sicily (where the tradition originated) and taught his children about the celebration of La Bafana. She and her siblings would put one of their shoes on a windowsill and in the morning they would find their shoe filled with fruit, candy and nuts.

Every Friend Is Like A Snowflake

Unique in beauty and design

Each sparkles in a different way

Some are playful, some refined.

But unlike fragile snowflakes,

that fade when the sun

appears.

Friends grow more beautiful with

each passing year.

We are thankful for Special

Friends like you.

Town of Saratoga News Thomas N. Wood, III

Supervisor Warm Greetings to Everyone!

The month of December is a time to think of giving to others, a time of celebration, and a time to re-flect back on the past year. It is amazing how fast the past 12 months have gone by. All of your elected and ap-pointed officials have worked hard and have attempted to conduct town business in a way that reflected the wishes of town residents. The next meeting of the Town Board is scheduled for Monday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m.

A special end of the year meeting will be held on December 29th at 11:00 a.m. to conduct end of the year financial business. The Town Offices will close on December 23rd at 12:00 noon and all day on December 26th for the Christ-mas Holiday and on Friday, December 30th at 12:00 noon and all day January 2nd for the New Year Holiday. News From The Assessor’s Office

The Assessor’s Office has been busy preparing itself for the busy exemption season. We will be mailing renewal applications the week of December 5th for the 2017 Roll. Please watch for these important forms. They need to be filled out and returned to our office no later than March 1, 2017 in order to be included on the 2017 Assessment Roll. Our exemption forms are “color coded” to help identify the appropriate exemptions. The Senior Star renewal applications are blue, the low-income Senior Exemption renewal forms are pink and the Agricultural renewal forms are green. If you have questions or con-cerns about any exemption, please do not hesitate to con-tact our office at 695-3644, ext. 312 or ext. 321. Our of-fice is located at 12 Spring Street on the 2nd floor and that is where you will need to submit your application. Appli-cations may be submitted either by mail or in person. In December the Assessor’s Office is open Monday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and on Wednesday from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. In January and February the Assessor's Office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 - 1:00 pm. The Assessor is in the office on Monday and Wednesday or by appointment. See the town web page under assessor for more information.

continued

Page 10 Shore Lines December 16,

Solar Law Amendment Earlier this the Town Board passed a new law

regulating the establishment of Solar Farms. This law only allowed Solar Farms in the Rural and Rural Resi-dential Districts. It has recently come to our attention that there are locations in both the Lake residential and Lake Commercial Districts where Roof top solar collec-tors exceeding 2000 square feet are possible. In order to allow this the town board will have to amend the cur-rent solar law. Applicants desiring solar installations will need to apply to the zoning officer and large installa-tions will have to go through the planning board.

Code Red The Saratoga County Office of Emergency Man-

agement is working to increase awareness and participa-tion in the mass emergency notification registration page. Residents and businesses alike are asked to regis-ter their cell and or VoIP phone number in the new emergency notification System. This will allow the county to notify residents of emergencies in their re-spective area. The data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes. The registration page is https://public.coderedweb.com/cne/en-us/bf26de55718d. This program replaces the Reverse 911 program hyper-Reach. If you have any questions please call the Saratoga County Director of Emergency Services Carl Zeilman at 885-2232. `

Page 11 Shore Lines December 16,

Malta Town Highway Department This important winter information can be applied to all of our communities, so please take a moment to read.

Be Prepared, Be Aware and Be Patient

Before it snows, remember last years’ problems and try to tackle them in advance. If you do your own snow removal, have your tools and supplies handy. Shovels, snow blowers, calcium chloride, rock salt and sand should be ready before the sea-son begins. If you hire someone for your snow removal then make those arrangements early. It can be difficult to find someone in the middle of a storm.

Make arrangements to have adequate food supplies on hand. Keep flashlights, a battery powered radio and emergency equipment on hand in case of disruption in the power supply. This way you can avoid going out on the roads during a storm or during the cleanup of a storm.

There is a shed with salt/sand mix located toward the back of the Highway Garage parking area. You are welcome to bring a bucket and shovel to take what you need (residents only).

Area news media will announce approaching storms and will disseminate information on school closings and meeting cancellations. They will also note road closings or re-routings.

Please do not go out during or immediately after a snowstorm unless it is truly necessary. Crews have many hours of hard work to complete their snow clearing operations. Less traffic on the roads means that we will be able to clear the roads more quickly and completely. Under the best of conditions, it will take us at least 4 hours from the time it stops snowing com-pletely, to complete our snow removal operations.

Remember, whether it is your driveway for which you are responsible for or the miles of roads for which we are re-sponsible for, snow removal is an arduous and time consuming task. Please understand that the Highway Department cannot shovel ridges or windrows from your driveway entrance or mailbox, nor can we plow private property.

Questions & Answers ~Why should I not throw snow back into the street? It is a violation of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law. Snow thrown back onto the roadway may freeze causing

hazardous road conditions. You may cause injury to family, friends or neighbors. ~I cannot shovel my driveway because I am elderly or disabled, what should I do? Make arrangements with family, friend, neighbor or contractor to do this for you. ~Why do the plows put snow in my driveway? This is not intentional! Snow, like water, will follow the path of least resistance and when there is an opening

on the side of the road the accumulated snow on the plow will deposit there. Some hints for plowing your driveway and during a storm ` If at all possible, leave a strip of snow at the edge of your driveway. This will block some of the snow from entering

your driveway when the plow widens the roadway. Finish clearing your driveway entrance AFTER the final widening pass of the Town trucks has been comple

` Make the opening of your driveway from the road as wide as possible ` Clear about 10' over and at least 1' in from the road on the left side of your driveway so that most of the snow from

the plow is deposited before it reaches your driveway. ` Situate your mailboxes further off the road so they are less likely to get ` When plows will be out during trash pick-up day PLEASE place buckets at least 2’ from the edge of the road. The

Waste Removal Trucks can reach at least 3’! Before the Snow Falls Beginning as early as September the Highway Department begins preparing for the winter months ahead by reviewing

snow removal routes and servicing equipment. This continues through November while the Highway crew is cutting back dead trees and dangerous limbs from our right-of-ways.

The late fall and early spring are critical times because the same equipment is used for other seasonal jobs and the focus can change at very short notice for snow removal.

continued next page

The Highway’s salt storage is stockpiled with 750 tons of salt while 3,000 gallons of enviro-brine and 6,000 gallons of liquid salt brine are contained in in storage tanks. In order to be properly prepared for inclement weather during the snow season, daily weather conditions are continually monitored via satellite and daily weather reports are received from NYS. This salt brine mix is a new method that Malta and some area towns are utilizing to be proactive as it jump starts the melting process. This mixture is applied to the main Town owned roads prior to a storm starting. The brining serves two purposes: it prevents the snow from bonding and compacting to the pavement and it keeps traffic moving safely during the initial phase of the storm.

When the Snowfall Starts An important step in dealing with the snowfall is street salting. The snow removal starts when frozen precipitation

begins falling and continues until the streets are clear. We have 7 plow routes with 2 men in each truck. It takes approxi-mately 4 hours to complete one run. Of course this time per run depends on driving conditions and amount of snow per hour is falling.

When the Snowfall Continues When two or three inches of snow have accumulated and more is expected, snow is more economically removed by

plowing rather than salting. If the storm continues in intensity, the trucks remain in the same pattern until the storm abates. At that time, the trucks begin to “widen out” all roads by pushing the accumulated snow back to the curb line and clearing intersections. The crew works around the clock during these storms to keep the roads open and passable.

After the Storm is Over

We continue to monitor all roads for icy spots and areas where winds redeposit the snow in traffic lanes. Residents are required to shovel out fire hydrants that in front of your property. The Town will go around and check catch basins

Residents can assist the Highway Department during a snow storm by heeding these suggestions: Reduce your speed and drive cautiously.

Remain off the roadways during snow storms unless absolutely necessary. Park vehicles in driveways and off the roadway. Vehicles left parked on roadways create a hazard to other drivers

and delays highway crew’s efforts to plow the roads. You also run the risk of your vehicle being towed during a storm along with a fine of $100. There is no street parking from November 1st to April 1st.

Move basketball hoops, garbage cans, landscaping, rocks, sprinkler heads, etc. off the road right-of-way. The Town WILL NOT be responsible for replacing or repairing any objects left within the right-of-way and there are no exceptions.

Do not plow, blow or throw snow back into the road or on other peoples’ property (NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law) Storm events are normally forecast 2 to 3 days in advance so please make every effort to gather whatever supplies

you and your family will need. For example, gas, food, water and medicine to last 2 or 3 days. BE PATIENT…The Highway Department will get to your area and make every effort to plow all roadways as quick-

ly as possible. Christmas Tree pick-up will end on January 9th. If you miss this deadline you are welcome to drop them off at the Highway Garage to the side of the gate. If you have any concerns or questions, do not hesitate to call us at 899-2818. Please keep in mind that we are out on the road often and our secretary is part time so if you get the machine PLEASE leave a message, we will return your call quick-ly. Plus, all this information is on our website! (submitted by Nancy Fodera for Roger Crandall)

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WINTER HOURS

October thru March Monday thru Friday

7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Page 12 Shore Lines December 16,

A Letter from Santa My Dear Susy Clemens, I have received and read all the letters which you and your little sister have written me . . . . I can read your and your baby sister's jagged and fantastic marks without any trouble at all. But I had trouble with those letters which you dictated through your mother and the nurses, for I am a foreigner and cannot read English writing well. You will find that I made no mistakes about the things which you and the baby ordered in your own letters--I went down your chimney at midnight when you were asleep and delivered them all myself--and kissed both of you, too . . . . But . . . There were . . . one or two small orders which I could not fill because we ran out of stock . . . . There was a word or two in your mama's letter which . . . I took to be "a trunk full of doll's clothes." Is that it? I will call at your kitchen door about nine o'clock this morning to inquire. But I must not see anybody and I must not speak to any-body but you. When the kitchen doorbell rings, George must be blindfolded and sent to the door. You must tell George he must walk on tiptoe and not speak-- otherwise he will die someday. Then you must go up to the nursery and stand on a chair or the nurse's bed and put your ear to the speaking tube that leads down to the kitchen and when I whistle through it you must speak in the tube and say, "Welcome, Santa Claus!" Then I will ask whether it was a trunk you ordered or not. If you say it was, I shall ask you what color you want the trunk to be . . . and then you must tell me every single thing in detail which you want the trunk to contain. Then when I say "Good-by and a Merry Christmas to my little Susy Clemens," you must say "Good-by, good old Santa Claus, I thank you very much." Then you must go down into the library and make George close all the doors that open into the main hall, and everybody must keep still for a little while. I will go to the moon and get those things and in a few minutes I will come down the chimney that belongs to the fireplace that is in the

hall--if it is a trunk you want--because I couldn't get such a thing as a trunk down the nursery chimney, you know. If I should leave any snow in the hall, you must tell George to sweep it into the fireplace, for I haven't time to do such things. George must not use a broom, but a rag--else he will die someday . . . . If my boot should leave a stain on the marble, George must not holystone it away. Leave it there always in memory of my visit; and whenever you look at it or show it to anybody you must let it remind you to be a good little girl. Whenever you are naughty and someone points to that mark which your good old Santa Claus's boot made on the marble, what will you say, little sweetheart? Good-by for a few minutes, till I come down to the world and ring the kitchen doorbell. Your loving Santa Claus Whom people sometimes call "The Man in the Moon"

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), well known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Twain is noted for his novels Ad-ventures of Huckleberry Finn, which has been called “the Great American Novel”, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and Europe-an royalty. His elder daughter, Suzy Clemens, was born in Elmira, New York, and lived a short life, dying at the age of 23 from meningitis. In childhood, Suzy often had poor health, similar to her mother. At 13, she wrote a biography of her father, which was included as part of Twain’s Chapters From My Autobiography. Mark Twain wrote a letter to his daughter, which he sent from Santa Claus, during one of her childhood illnesses.

This work was published before January 1, 1923, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago

Page 13 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

Page 14 Shore Lines December 16,

Trying to stay awake for Santa

Round-About Malta Town Board January 2017 Meetings will be held the 2nd & 4th Monday of the month (instead of usual 1st & 3rd) due to holiday conflicts. Therefore, the January Town Board meetings will be held on Monday, January 9 and Monday, January 23 at 6:00pm at the Malta Town Hall, 2540 Route 9. These meetings are open to the public. The Malta Parks & Recreation Winter 2017 brochure is now available. Lots of new classes to choose from. Shake off the holiday pounds with several exercise classes to choose from or break up the winter blahs and try some-thing new like a painting or cooking class. Check out the brochure at www.maltaparksrec.com.

We recommend you bookmark Malta’s Community Center Winter Brochure. It is full of activities, events, and information, much of which you will want to take advantage of.

The Malta Town Board January 2017 Meet-ings will be held the 2nd & 4th Monday of the month (instead of usual 1st & 3rd) due to holiday con-flicts. Therefore, the January Town Board meetings will be held on Monday, January 9 and Monday, Janu-ary 23 at 6:00pm at the Malta Town Hall, 2540 Route 9. These meetings are open to the public.

Magical Holiday Ball Friday, December 9th Barnes and Noble celebrated the won-der of wizarding world with a festive event inspired by the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Caden Morahan, son of Lisa and Jim Morahan, attended this even-ing of Potter-themed crafts, games, music and surprises. Photo by June Morier.

“Go ahead, make my day”

Page 15 Shore Lines December 16,

Revenge of the Moose Some things that come in email are just too good not to pass along. This actually happened...They tied a guy down on the roof. The driver and passengers put on moose heads. Then they went down Route I-35 causing 16 accidents. Yes, they went to jail...yes, alcohol was involved...yes, men cannot be left alone.

Just for Fun

If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

I went to the bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “where’s the self-help section?” She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

Is there another word for synonym?

Where do forest rangers go to “get away from it all.”

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Why do they lock gas station bath-rooms? Are they afraid someone will break in a clean them?

Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

One nice thing about egotists: they don’t talk about other people.

How is it possible to have a civil war?

If you ate both pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word ‘lisp’ to have ‘s’ in it?

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

For those who love the philosophy of

ambiguity, as well as the idiosyncrasies

of English

PLAN Offers Free Dock

Saratoga PLAN owns a dock that was originally placed in front of their Manning’s Cove Preserve. Over the last cou-ple of years, the dock has been drifting onto neighboring properties, abused by visitors and lacking the love a good dock needs. PLAN has no need for the dock or desire to maintain it. We would love to give it to someone who could use it or wants it. Contact the PLAN Office if interested at (587-5554). Greg Redling Stewardship Coordinator

Saratoga PLAN Explores Mud Pond in the Palmertown Conservation Area

Saratoga PLAN hosted an opportunity to explore Mud Pond in Moreau Lake State Park with expert naturalist, Jackie Donnelly. A group of 8 hardy outdoor enthusiasts explored the winter evergreen flora of Mud Pond, discover-ing greenery amid the snow and short days of winter. This was the second in a series of events that aim to bring citi-zens and experts together to explore the ecosystems of the Palmertown Conservation Area, a natural landscape bor-dered to the North by the Hudson River, with Routes 9 and 9N to the East and West. PLAN’s first event focused on red oak regeneration and active forest management to address beech bark disease and deer overbrowse in Lincoln Mountain State Forest led by DEC Forester Rich McDer-mott, and included a visit to ancient Black Gum trees. Fu-ture events are planned for winter mammal tracking, as well as salamander surveys and bird walks as the weather warms up in the spring. These events offer opportunities for the public to learn about areas within the Palmertown Conservation Area with expert naturalists. Under Jackie’s expert instruction, we identified many varieties of evergreen trees, ferns, mosses, and lichens. Ab-bie Larkin, PLAN’s representative on the walk, tasted win-tergreen berries for the first time, while others dug through the snow to find the next specimen for Jackie to identify. Jackie Donnelly said she was “grateful to Saratoga PLAN for preserving diversity” and that she has been “exploring the area for 47 years and can’t believe the diversity in the Palmertown Conservation Area,” which Jackie considers her bailiwick. More of Jackie’s adventures identifying plants across Saratoga County can be read on her blog, Saratoga Woods and Waterways (saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/).

Page 16 Shore Lines December 16,

Saratoga PLAN is focusing attention on the Palmertown Conservation Area as a conservation priority. The area in-cludes unfragmented forests which provide important wild-life habitat and timber, and protect the headwaters of the Snook Kill and Kayaderosseras Creek. A detailed landscape analysis identified the landscape’s high potential for groundwater recharge and resiliency, two important ecosys-tem functions. The Palmertown Conservation Area also contains existing public lands and trail systems, which can be linked together to create a long distance trail network connecting communities and providing recreation opportu-nities that span the landscape. The Palmertown exploratory events are supported by funding from New York State’s Conservation Partnership Program for land trusts helping to accomplish New York’s Open Space goals. Saratoga PLAN is a nonprofit land trust that works to preserve the rural character, natural habitats and scenic beauty of Saratoga County so that these irreplaceable assets are accessible to all and survive for future generations. PLAN helps landowners conserve farmland, woodlands and natural habitats. PLAN connects people to nature through an extensive trail network, including 10 public nature pre-serves open for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, snow-shoeing, and kayaking. Saratoga PLAN helps communities create plans that balance growth with conservation to sus-tain the Saratoga Region as a great place to live, work, visit, play and farm. PLAN facilitates community-based conserva-tion by partnering with municipalities to help them accom-plish their community’s conservation goals. For more information, visit www.saratogaplan.org or call 518-587-5554

News from the New York State Federation of Lake Associations

Dear Members of NYSFOLA, Imagine a world where nearly all lakes are overrun by aquatic invasive species or where swimming is impossible because of harmful algal blooms. Sadly, this is becoming more of a reality for many of our lakes, and those that have escaped degradation, struggle to ward off the ever increasing threats to water quality. We must have a stronger voice than ever before to protect our lakes! NYSFOLA can be that voice if we all work togeth-er. Won’t you be a part of that voice and support NYS-FOLA? NYSFOLA has been a statewide voice for lakes since 1983, and we remain more committed to our membership than ever before, but dues alone do not cover our costs. Through this newsletter as well as our four confer-ences, you have learned what we’ve done and how we are doing it. We have submitted comments on proposed reg-ulations, written letters to policy makers, supported our members and colleagues in the development of grant ap-plications, provided answers to your lake related ques-tions, and provided educational information to lakes in NY and around the world, through our affiliation with the North American Lake Management Society. What do we want to do in 2017? Enhance CSLAP by eliminating the rotation system and providing more opportunity for aquatic invasive spe-cies surveys, data interpretation, and communication with volunteers. We continue to support DEC in the effort to detect, sample, and alert our members about Harmful Algal Blooms. Upgrade the NYSFOLA Annual Conference. We are working on a new format this year. We have moved the banquet to Friday night to increase attendance and will end the conference on Saturday afternoon to reduce costs and allow people to head home earlier. We hope that the new format will also allow us to look for other venues around the state to increase participation by new mem-bers. Continue to support the Oneonta Foundation to fund graduate students in their efforts to prepare lake management plans for lakes across the state. They have provided valuable assistance to many of our members, and they are the future of lake management.

Page 17 Shore Lines December 16,

2016

Develop better materials on how to form and manage lake associations, fundraising activities, membership re-cruitment, etc. In short, we need to do even more for our member lake associations! Continue to answer your questions and concerns even as more time constraints are put on our part-time manager, Nancy Mueller who is also charged with run-ning the day-to-day CSLAP needs. She continues to be the day-to-day voice of NYSFOLA and provides immeas-urable service to lake advocates around the state. Participate in regional activities and “be the voice for NY lakes” by having a greater statewide presence. Increas-ingly, NYSFOLA is being asked to enter in collaborative projects with colleges, regional lake groups, and the PRISM activities. This raises our profile and makes our “voice” louder than ever. Continue to impress upon elected officials the need to protect water resources. Continue dialogue with regu-latory agencies about the need to prepare and implement thoughtful regulations and permit requirements. This is a lot to do with an all-volunteer Board of Direc-tors and one staff person. But we have the passion to serve you, our customers, and to fulfill our shared mis-sion. Won’t you help us? There are many worthy causes, but if we don’t speak out for New York state lakes, who will? In your consideration of year end giving, please con-sider making a gift to New York lakes through a generous contribution to NYSFOLA at www.nysfola.org. We are the statewide voice for New York lakes. We need to be heard louder than ever before. Thank you for your continued support. The NYSFOLA Board of Directors

ABOUT NYSFOLA

The New York State Federation of Lake Associations, Inc. was founded in 1983 by a coalition of lake associations concerned about water quality, invasive species, and other issues facing New York's lakes. Today, more than 200 lake associations across the state are members of the only statewide voice for lakes and lake associations. NYSFOLA also has corporate members and individual members who support our efforts.

News from Arvin Hart

The Brutal Truth About Fire You Need to Understand

Are you aware of how long you have to get out your home after the smoke alarm goes off? Just 90 seconds – 90 seconds, practice it! The public needs to begin to realize that there are several things working against you with homes, especially new homes; many are designed with an open floor plan which allows fire to spread much faster from one area to another, the exterior of many homes is covered with poly-propylene siding better known as vinyl siding which will spread fire very quickly on the exterior of the home and into the attic area, homes are filled with items made of petroleum based plastics which give off toxic fumes which will ignite in a flashover at high temperatures. Many of the fatalities in residential fires are the very young, older adults or people with disabilities. Although the smoke detector may go off, these residents are unable to evacuate themselves quickly enough. Older adults represent 14% of our nation’s popula-tion but suffered 36% of all fire deaths. Make darn sure your smoke detectors are operating properly. Do you live near one of our four stations, and if you like hiking, hang gliding, base jumping, rock climbing, ex-treme sports or sky diving, the fire department is in desper-ate need of adventurers like you between the ages of 18 to 40 who are willing to be training to fight fires in buildings and to serve their community in countless ways. This is a unique group of individuals who not only like the excite-ment and the dedication it takes to be a firefighter but also serve their communities in many ways, from Toys for Tots, vehicle extrication, to cold water rescue or interior fire-fighting. You will be trained and given the proper equip-ment to do your job, there is a time commitment which is for your own safety. If you do well you may start a whole new career as a paid firefighter, we’ll give you a head start. Apply today! Write to us at recruit@arvinhart.org. We have fewer members than ever before and the average age of our members is increasing, we need additional members who are willing to be trained as interior firefighters. The alternative is much more expensive! There is an alarming shortage of volunteers across the nation and the volunteer service is slow morphing into a combination service utilizing both volun-teers and paid staff at a much higher cost to the taxpayers.

Page 18 Shore Lines December 16, 2016

The answer to the shortage of volunteers and the homes which are built with lightweight construction is the instal-lation of sprinklers to your plumbing system. This is a practical way to have a fire department standing by in eve-ry home especially in new construction. Residential sprin-klers have been written into the new building code since 2012 but the realtors and builders have spent millions of dollars fighting this lifesaving technology. Most of that money has going to the campaigns of elected officials to insure that the sprinkler provisions are taken out of the codes, although the builders are represented in the codes making process – they have a vote. Since Prince Georges County Maryland enacted its sprinkler regulations for new homes in 1992, there has not been a death in a sprin-klered home where a fire has occurred, while 55 have per-ished in one and two family residences during the same period. The average cost for adding sprinklers to your plumbing system, about 5 to 6,000 dollars. How much are your loved ones worth? Some spend that much for counter tops. The point is sprinklers would save lives, relieve the burden of the volunteer shortage and reduce damage. One sprinkler head puts out a lot less water than one of our fire hoses, trust me. If you want to dis-cuss residential sprinklers in more detail, contact me. The holidays are especially heartbreak when a fire occurs, the loss and memory of a fire during the holidays is devastating. Simple actions might avoid personal trage-dy, water live trees every day a dried out live tree can be completely destroyed by fire in 4 seconds and don’t over-load extension cords or allow them to be pinched under furniture or other heavy objects. Don’t leave any of those smelly candles unattended and keep them away from oth-er objects that can burn. We do a lot of extra work in the kitchen during the holidays; don’t leave food that is cook-ing unattended. The volunteers and Board of Fire Commissioners wish you and your families a safe, warm and joyful Christ-mas Season and may the New Year bring you continued health and happiness.

Tom Rinaldi, Commissioner Stillwater Fire District/Arvin Hart Volunteers

If the members of the Association ever want to do a face to face as a result of this article, I'm available. tom@rinaldi1.com 518.944.5263

A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western Hemisphere but also found in the Eastern Hemisphere, in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement or something slightly nice, such as opening doors for people beginning from New Year's Day.

Where did it all come from?

Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.

This tradition has many other religious parallels. During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holi-days and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People can act similarly during the Christian liturgical season of Lent, although the mo-tive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility. In fact, the practice of New Year's resolutions came, in part, from the Lenten sacrifices. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.

What is the success rate for keeping resolutions? The most common reason for participants failing their New Years' Resolutions was setting themselves unrealistic goals (35%), while 33% didn't keep track of their progress and a further 23% forgot about it. About one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions.

A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the be-ginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.

Happy New Year!!!

My goal for 2017 is to accomplish the goals of 2016 which I should have done in 2015 because I made a promise in 2014 and planned in 2013.