Thanks to community support and strong vocal opposition to draining, Tillson Lake (Tillson Lake Under Threat for the Third Time, Gazette, Summer 2018), the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC) and the New York State Office of Parks agreed to do a new study on the cost of upgrading the dam, including a fresh look at the dam’s classification as “High Hazard.” This study has been completed and the results and the dollar amount needed to do the work are awaited.
A recent meeting with the new Commissioner of Parks, Erik Kulleseid, and the Deputy Commissioner, Tom Alworth, left Friends of Tillson Lake feeling officials are willing to work with the community to seek the necessary funds.
To that end, Friends held a very successful “Bake for the Lake” fund raiser on June 22 at Stone Wave Yoga. Over 35 baked goods were donated by local bakers to a cake auction that followed a delicious dinner. A replica “Lake Cake” was made by Maya Eyler and her son Miles. Friends also auctioned a two-night stay at the Inn at the Ridge, donated by the owners, who also baked two spectacular cakes.
Recent meetings and conversations with State representatives in the Assembly and Senate have provided assurances that they will actively seek funding from the State for the necessary upgrades. Once a dollar figure is known, it will be incumbent on our community to lobby hard to have Tillson Lake included in next year’s budget. Without the participation and support of the community and the Town Board, none of this would have happened. As additional details become known they will be shared with the community on savetillsonlake.org. The website has a Facebook page that allows anyone to read posts, see photographs and stay updated on all of our efforts.
We will have another exciting fund raiser in October.