SAND LAKE — Fliers advocating for Burden Lake Road to reopen sit on the back counter of Paula’s Country Kitchen in the hamlet of Averill Park.
The topic means a lot to owner Paula Hernick, five years after Rensselaer County shut down a segment of the road leading to her restaurant. It was closed over concerns about the condition of an underlying dam after a flood.
Her cafe’s profits have dropped 35% since the 2021 closure. It has forced her customers to take a more winding route to her restaurant, and for the businesswoman, a Burden Lake area resident, to take daily detours home. She hopes the closure isn’t permanent, but if it is, she wants officials to let her know…