K 707: Commending the Town of Waterford upon the occasion of hosting its 26th Annual Tugboat Roundup from September 5-7, 2025

 Assembly Resolution No. 707 BY: M. of A. McDonald COMMENDING the Town of Waterford upon the occasion of hosting its 26th Annual Tugboat Roundup from September 5-7, 2025 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, to recognize and pay tribute to those organizations that embrace the historical significance and contributions of their localities which strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend the Town of Waterford upon the occasion of hosting its 26th Annual Tugboat Roundup from September 5-7, 2025; and WHEREAS, Tugboats have been an indispensable part of maritime transportation for nearly 200 years, maneuvering larger watercraft in tight areas, and towing unpowered vessels from port to port; and WHEREAS, Tugs were invented in the 1810s, shortly after steam-power was successfully applied to watercraft, and during the 1800s on the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, old stripped-downside-wheelers and propeller-driven towboats were used to move ever-increasing numbers of watercraft, especially canal boats; and WHEREAS, The Tugboat Roundup is a gathering of tugboats, workboats and barges to celebrate the maritime heritage of the Northeast Inland Waterways; and WHEREAS, The Tugboat Roundup, which takes place annually the weekend after Labor Day features a tug parade, tug tours, boat rides, tug talks, competitions, fireworks, children's activities, vendors, food, and more; and WHEREAS, Waterford sits at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers and is the gateway to the Erie and Champlain Canals; and WHEREAS, Waterford is home to Waterford Flight, a flight of five locks which spans the greatest height in the shortest distance of any set of locks in the world; and WHEREAS, The Village of Waterford was founded in 1794, and is the oldest continually incorporated village in the United States, while the Town of Waterford was founded in 1816; and WHEREAS, The New York State Canal System is a successor to the Erie Canal and other canals within New York; currently, the 525-mile system is composed of the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal; and WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend cultural events which symbolize the historical, social, and cultural development of this great State and its waterways and embody the spirit of the principles upon which this Nation was founded; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend the Town of Waterford upon the occasion of hosting its 26th Annual Tugboat Roundup from September 5-7, 2025; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Town of Waterford.