Lincoln
Pond
~ A Place for All Seasons ~
.jpg)
Above Lincoln Pond, looking toward Dix Mountain. Photograph by Gerry Zahavi, 2011.
|
* UPDATE ON BELOW ("Wonderful News"): Construction on the Black River crossing below Kingdom Dam has begun and should take approximately three weeks to complete . THE DEC has asked us to pass this along: PLEASE avoid the area with ATVs and other vehicles until the construction is complete. Thanks!
* WONDERFUL NEWS! (1-4-2012). The DEC has notified us that they will be moving forward with building a more permanent crossing over the Black River just below Kingdom Dam. The contract has been signed and the work will start soon (it may actually have already begun); the DEC wants it finished over the winter and definitely before the spring thaw. Camp owners on Paynes Way will now have regular access to their road. Although technically the crossing is not the direct responsibility of the DEC, the Department was able to justify the project on the basis that their engineers will need access to both the eastern and western sides of Kingdom Dam to facilitate the planned repair work on the Dam. Thanks to the DEC (and especially Tom Martin, Mark Moore, Frank Burnham, Jim Reagan -- with whom we've met on this and related matters) for helping to make this repair possible.
* HURRICANE IRENE IMPACT
PICTURES: For photographs of damage and repair work related to Hurricane Irene see our Flickr collection at: www.flickr.com/photos/lincolnpond. We are still collecting and posting photographs. If you have an photos, please send them and we'll post them (send to: lincolnpond@hughes.net).
NOTICES / ANNOUNCEMENTS
Summer 2011 Announcements & Postings:
-
Wish us a Happy Birthday!
June 14, 2011 marks the
40th Anniversary of the Lincoln Pond Association, Inc.
We were established as a Not-for-Profit Corporation on June 14, 1971!
-
Our annual membership meeting took place on Saturday, July 23rd, 2011 at 10 AM. Minutes of the meeting are available here: MEMBERSHIP MEETING JULY 23, 2011. Recording of the meeting forthcoming.
- As many of you know by now, the DEC lost funding to pursue repair of Kingdom Dam.
At this point, our only recourse is to pressure the State Legislature and the Governor to restore funding for the much-needed reconstruction of the Dam. For those of you who want to directly contact representatives and the Governor to express your concerns, below are links to relevant contact information:
Joe Marten, Commisioner,
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-1010
Phone:
518-402-8545
EMAIL: http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/407.html |
- 2010 Lincoln Pond Water Quality Reports (from CSLAP/DEC):
1) Lincoln Pond Scorecard (summary)
2) Scorecard Criteria (explanation of former document)
3) CSLAP 2010 Lincoln Pond Water Quality Summary
- KINGDOM DAM INSPECTION REPORTS (posted June 2011): Kingdom Dam Phase 2 Final Report, Revision 1, Vol. 1: Kingdom_Phase 2 Final Report Volume 1. | Kingdom Dam Phase 2I Report - Vol 2 (Hydraulic and Hydrologic Supplement for Kingdom Dam on Lincoln Pond: Kingdom Phase 2 H&H Final Report, Vol 2.
- Though the likelihood of a catastrophic dam failure is very low at this point, it is still important for us to address the continuing deterioration of the dam. The consequences of a major dam breach were explored by Clare Zegarelli in a GIS course at Colgate University. Here are some of her findings: GIS Map ~ KIngdom Dam Breach. By the way, Clare's family owns a camp on Upper Pond.
- PREVIOUSLY POSTED ITEMS on Kingdom Dam Repair and Restoration Project:Click here for a summary of the latest inspection report and recommendations: Donald E. Canestrari, P.E. Environmental Engineer 2, Dam Safety Division (letter).
- REPORTS ON MEETINGS (1/1/2011 to 5/26/2011): Gerry Zahavi spoke to Noel Merrihew, E-Town Supervisor, in late December and again on 1/21/2011 on the need to continue to place pressure on DEC (and especially on State officials who control the DEC budget) to complete the needed repairs on Kingdom Dam. Noel agreed to write a letter on our behalf expressing the concern of Association members and the Town about the integrity of the Dam -- and the need to expeditiously complete its necessary reconstruction. He followed up with that letter soon afterward.
On April 13, Zahavi met with Jim Reagan (of the NYSDEC Central Office, Div. of Operations) and with Roland Ozols, Chief of NYSDEC Bureau of Maintenance and Technical Services, at DEC headquarters in Albany -- again on the Kingdom Dam issue -- to express the Association's concerns over the delayed reconstruction of the Dam. On May 25, another meeting was held in Elizabethtown with Reagan, Joe Martin (E-Town Board member), and Noel Merrihew. Reagan and Zahavi took an inspection tour of the Dam and both extensively photographed the downstream face. Zahavi will be monitoring the Dam on a monthly basis and sending photographs to the DEC for their engineers to review any changes in the condition of the Dam. More details on these meetings will be presented at the annual membership meeting on July 23rd.
- NEW! -- Lincoln Pond Brochure (PDF). Download here: LPD BROCHURE.
* LINCOLN POND/COUNTY RT. 7 BROADBAND INITIATIVE: Unfortunately, CBN Connect, the organization we've been working with to bring Broadband Internet to the Lincoln Pond Area, failed to obtain grant funding through a U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunication and Information Administration stimulus grant (for more information, see: http://www.cbnconnect.org/ARTICLES/9-29-10.html. As a result of this setback, we are starting to explore alternatives -- including the formation of a not-for-profit Broadband Co-op. Clearly, most business models make it unprofitable for private firms to bring service out along Lincoln Pond Road toward this area; the population density is too low for profitable operation without subsidies. The only viable solution is indeed obtaining subsidies from the government through grants or low-interest loans (recall the rural electrification initiatives of the New Deal era) and/or through the creation of a Co-op which will share the cost of service across a broader rural population and across present and future generations. A Broadband Co-op may have to encroach upon for-profit service areas to be viable. The benefit of this will be competition in formerly low-competition areas -- and of course, lower costs. We are looking for legal assistance from attorneys familiar with not-for-profit corporation law and the Co-op model for advice and counsel.
In the meantime, we are still collecting the names of households interested in Broadband service. We intend to continue lobbying our representatives for public investment in this area. We will continue discussions and negotiations with Charter Cable, Westelcom, Verizon, and Time Warner. We'll also continue our dialog with local and regional politicians. It's time for our region to get connected! Not only will it enhance our educational and entertainment opportunities (such as distance learning and degree programs on line, film and audio downloads, a greater variety of television channels, access to on-line books and newspapers), it will also foster home businesses and provide a variety of commercial opportunities to residents. Sign onto our initiative by sending us a note expressing your desire to get service. We need names, addresses, phone numbers, and current email information for all those who are interested -- to show service providers and regional politicians that there is real, un-met demand in our area. Send a note expressing your desire to get connected to: lincolnpond@hughes.net. We'll add you to our petition and to our mailing list and notify you regularly of our progress.
* UPDATED: Latest Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) reports on Lincoln Pond are now available here (PDF file): CSLAP 2008 Report & CSLAP 2009 Summary Report. ~ ~ ~ ~
Sunset
at Lincoln Pond
(Helen Phinney, Aug. 11, 1971)
A
kingfisher skims the water -
the water reflecting the
hills and sky
Pools of pink and purple.
Now
the colors fade.
The hills take on a deep blue.
The water becomes shimmering
glass - shimmering - moving -
Blue clouds, now, and
darker water - a bird calls
in the trees behind me.
Now
all is muted and quiet,
Colors, water - all.
Welcome
to the official Lincoln Pond Association Web site.
|
| |
|