Fulton Daily News

The village of Phoenix community turned out in full force on Saturday for a morning of basketball fun to support its police department’s senior citizen program CHOOSE. Organizer Justus Stahrr said, “The CHOOSE program is a great example of community policing. It’s something that Chief Nerber desires to bring back to this community.”

The bid for $118,965.20 to begin dredging Lake Neatahwanta was awarded to an Illinois firm on Tuesday and the contract assures removal of the first 10,000 cubic yards of silt by mid-September. “Once the initial 10,000 cubic yards is dredged, any new money raised could be spent on a $12.89 per-cubic-yard basis for as long as (the contractor) is available or until the end of the season,” FCRC Director Joe Fiumara said.

For his Eagle Scout project, Travis Kemp, a Boy Scout from Troop 715 in Fulton, completed and installed two picnic tables and two benches at Great Bear Springs Recreational Area. One picnic table was designed for handicapped accessibility compliant with ADA guidelines.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has announced 22 Sacred Sites Grants totaling more than $300,000 awarded to historic religious properties throughout New York State including a Robert W. Wilson Sacred Sites Challenge Grant of $35,000 to State Street United Methodist Church in Fulton, for roof replacement and tower repairs. “Religious institutions anchor their communities,” said Peg Breen, president of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. “They remind us of our history and provide vital social service and cultural programs today.”

Some east side residents were surprised Tuesday evening to find a black bear wandering through their city neighborhood. Fulton Police responded to the call in the 700 block of Cayuga Street and called the state Department of Environmental Conservation for advice on how best to deal with the bear.

On Friday (Aug. 8) afternoon Joe Fiumara, director of the Fulton Community Revitalization Corp (FCRC) opened the sealed bid packages to select the company to begin dredging the accumulated sludge from the lake bottom. “Groh Dredging is $118,965.20,” Fiumara read from the bid pack. “That’s in the budget,” Mayor Ron Woodward said.

City officials have received the permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation to allow dredging of Lake Neatahwanta – a significant step in returning the fresh water body to a healthy condition.

As the city of Fulton and town of Granby await permits that will allow dredging of the lake, which are expected to be delivered any day, this is the first of a multi-part feature article highlighting some of the news reports and studies published in the past few decades for Fulton’s little lake by the big lake, Lake Neatahwanta. – Ed.

A whole generation ago the city of Fulton was forced to close Stevenson Beach and North Bay Beach on Lake Neatahwanta during the middle of a summer dry spell and heat wave because the lake’s water could make people sick.