Lake Placid, NY - Lake Placid invites you to keep holiday spirits high this December by continuing a holiday tradition. The 11th annual Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll is scheduled for December 11-13, 2020. The Holiday Village Stroll will take a different shape this year, with virtual events, a scavenger hunt, and lots of shopping. All plans will follow the recommended health guidelines including social distancing and wearing face masks, while still making sure to offer plenty of festive cheer. “Traditionally, Holiday Village Stroll has packed Main Street with visitors and locals alike decorating cookies, visiting with Santa, and watching holiday movies. This year is a little different,” said Lori Fitzgerald, President of the Lake Placid Business Association. “Despite some changes, we are excited to see this event happening and look forward to sharing new experiences with everyone this holiday season.” The schedule is subject to change, but events and activities in 2020 will likely include: Virtual Jingle Bell RunMain Street scavenger huntTo-go holiday craft kits (available at the Lake Placid Visitors’ Bureau)Main Street shopping2020 commemorative ornaments will be available. Location TBD.Santa “parade.” This year, Santa will visit neighborhoods on a firetruck instead of the traditional parade down Main Street. “This is such a wonderful time of year and we are thrilled to be able to put together a Holiday Village Stroll that is safe, healthy, and fun for everyone,” said Bethany Valenze, Lake Placid Representative and Events Coordinator for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. “We even heard a rumor from Santa that there might be a virtual bedtime story one night.” The Holiday Village Stroll is organized by the Lake Placid Business Association along with a local committee. 2020 is the event’s 11th year. For more information, visit www.HolidayVillageStroll.com or follow Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll on Facebook, both of which are updated frequently. ###

The ROOST team has been busy gearing up for winter. We are launching the winter campaigns that we reviewed with many of you during last month’s regional update calls. Your time, insight, and feedback are greatly appreciated - thank you. At this time, in addition to our winter leisure travel programming, we have a few new updates that we are excited to share with you. Make a big impact - #ShopADK We are kicking off a #ShopADK campaign that focuses on the importance of keeping as much business within the Adirondacks as possible. While the #ShopADK programming will extend year-round, the first component will be focused on holiday shopping. The #ShopADK holiday campaign will focus on: Supporting community-based holiday shopping events hosted by our regional partners. Promoting the importance of supporting our local communities by shopping local. Highlighting the unique variety of one-of-a-kind gifts and experiences you can find locally this holiday season. Showing the critical mass of unique shopping opportunities the Adirondacks has to offer is the greatest path to success this holiday season, so we need your help! You are invited to share your holiday shopping information with us and to use the #ShopADK toolkit resource that we have prepared. In the toolkit, you will find forms to submit your information, flyers, posters, logos, social images, and much more. View the #ShopADK Toolkit Politely Adirondack Signage (Winter Edition) The critters are back! The team has updated the Politely Adirondack signage for winter. The package again includes regionally branded signs that cover the health guidelines and expectations for people when they are in our communities. View/Download the Winter Signage Travel Unity Partnership In case you missed it, in October we announced that we are participating in a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) pilot program with Travel Unity. We look forward to working with the Travel Unity team and the other members of the first cohort as we navigate through this program. Learn more about the ROOST/Travel Unity partnership We will share more details about this initiative as they evolve. Attention Restaurant Owners! As we prepare to head into the winter season, we are reviewing and updating our dining information and want to know what your winter plans are. Please take a quick moment to complete the short form below so that we can assist you with getting accurate information out. Even if your operation plans have not changed, please complete the form so that we can verify that we have the most up-to-date information. Complete the Restaurant Form On a final note, we want to thank you for your partnership as we navigate through this year together. We remain committed to continuing to work together to become an even stronger Adirondack region. Please remember to follow us on Facebook for quick access to the latest updates impacting the region.

Tupper Lake, NY - The Tupper Lake Triad continues the tradition of supporting mountain restoration efforts with a $1,000 contribution to the Friends of Mount Arab (FOMA). The Friends of Mount Arab (FOMA) is a not-for-profit volunteer organization formed in September 1997. Working with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), FOMA’s mission is to preserve and restore the fire tower and observer’s cabin on Mount Arab to a safe condition, as well as educate the public on the human and natural history of the site. Part of that mission is encouraging proper stewardship of our wild places and historical sites. “Over the years, FOMA has made a great deal of progress restoring and maintaining the tower and cabin on Mount Arab,” said Dick Bentley, Chairman of FOMA. “In 23 years, we’ve created a mountaintop museum, added a new outhouse, built two benches, and made great strides restoring the steel fire tower, which was originally built in 1918, including installation of new steps, landings, and floors, safety caging on the stairway, and new footings and anchor bolts to secure the tower to the bedrock. Of course, these were pricey projects, and more will come up as part of routine maintenance. As a volunteer organization, donations, like this one from the Triad, are critical to our success.” Within the last decade, FOMA has also installed a map table in the tower cab, panoramic panels above the tower windows, and added new, aluminum framed Plexiglas windows. The Student Conservation Association (SCA) also gave the tower a fresh coat of special “rust grip” paint. Apart from physical maintenance, FOMA has also heavily invested in education. For many years, a summit steward has been employed by FOMA to enhance visitors’ experience. “The steward has considerable knowledge of the site and its history,” said Neil Pickering, Piercefield Town Supervisor. “This is an incredible asset to our community. Visitors young and old can ask questions and gain a better understanding of the area and the people who have dedicated time to preserving the history.” Tupper Lake Triad was established by Charlie Hoffer, a retired physical education teacher in Tupper Lake. The challenge consists of the three family-friendly hikes of Goodman Mountain, Coney Mountain, and Mount Arab. In the spring of 2018, management of the Tupper Lake Triad was transferred to the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism and currently operates out of their Tupper Lake office on Park Street. “When Mr. Hoffer created the Tupper Lake Triad hiking challenge, he not only created a unique experience for people, but also set an excellent precedence of donating a portion of the proceeds back to organizations, like the Friends of Mount Arab, who are working to improve and enhance our outdoor experiences,” said Katie Stuart, the Tupper Lake Regional Marketing Manager with ROOST. “We are pleased to be able to honor the agreement to continue that tradition and look forward to continuing to work with the Friends of Mount Arab in the future.” The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York State. In addition to managing the hiking challenge, ROOST launched a new Tupper Lake Triad Paddling Challenge in 2020. ### Header Image: Tupper Lake Regional Marketing Manager presents the check to Larry Lee, FOMA Treasurer in the Tupper Lake ROOST Office. Mt. Arab Ranger CabinHikers observe the Mt. Arab Fire TowerSunset from the top of Mt. Arab

Lake Placid, NY - The Town of North Elba is pleased to announce the newly established North Elba Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF). The North Elba LEAF is a dedicated and ongoing fund available to nonprofits, local governments, and public sector organizations within the Town of North Elba. Monies for the fund are derived from a dedicated 2% Essex County occupancy tax that was implemented by the Essex County Board of Supervisors in June of 2020. The mission of LEAF is to provide funds for programs, activities, and facilities that will have direct benefits to North Elba communities and improve the quality of place for both residents and visitors. Projects eligible must positively impact the community and its visitors by meeting the following criteria: Addresses a significant need of the communityWill be executed by an organization that demonstrates sound administration and financial managementEntails an initiative that will not depend on ongoing funding from LEAFWill be completed within a defined timeline Grant approvals will be a two step process. The North Elba LEAF committee, after due diligence in reviewing all eligible applications, will make recommendations to the North Elba Town Board (NETB) for final approval. The North Elba LEAF committee will not exceed 11 members and members will be approved by the NETB. Committee support, grant administration and grant compliance will be provided by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). “We are extremely happy to see this project come to fruition,” stated Jay Rand, Supervisor for the Town of North Elba. “The established and ongoing fund dedicated to advancing initiatives for the betterment of our communities will truly be a catalyst for advancing the Town of North Elba as a place to live, a place to do business, and a place to visit.” A committee of 11 members will represent a diverse range of business and community sectors within the Town of North Elba. The committee is responsible for accepting and reviewing applications based on the scoring criteria, and will make award recommendations, as a committee, to the North Elba Town Board. A public information session will be hosted virtually on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 5:30pm to provide an overview of LEAF, outline the application process, and answer any questions. “Anyone who has questions, feels they have a project that may qualify, or simply wants to learn more about LEAF is encouraged to attend the public information session,” said Mary Jane Lawrence, Chief Operating Officer for ROOST. Details on how to apply and the scoring criteria are now available at www.roostadk.com/leaf. Applications for the initial round of funding will be accepted between January 1, 2021 and March 1, 2021. The second round of applications will be accepted no later than September 1, 2021 and approved by the town board no later than November 1, 2021. ###

ROOST and the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) would like to invite you to join us for an update on operation plans for Whiteface, the Olympic sites, and other area attractions in advance of the upcoming holidays. Tuesday, January 12 at 1:00 p.m. Video and Screen Share Link: https://meetings.ringcentral.com/j/1483986859 Call-in Alternative: (470) 869-2200 | Meeting ID: 148 398 6859 Thank you! Team ROOST and ORDA