The Village of Speculator is celebrating the completion of the newly installed Makomis fire tower with a ribbon cutting event on Thursday, September 1, 2022, from 2-3 p.m., at the Sacandaga Park and River Walk. Event organizers have invited a number of people involved in the project including: Speculator Mayor Jeannette BarrettMike Vilegi - tower installerLaurie Rankin - director of NYS Forest Fire Lookout AssociationEileen Barber - daughter of George Barber, who stored the tower for many years at his homeJonathan Lane and family - his father, Dean, had the original vision to install a fire tower in Speculator many years ago According to Village of Speculator Mayor Jeanette Barrett, this project was galvanized after a great deal of planning and work. “The idea of having a fire tower in Speculator has been a long time coming for many people in the area,” said Mayor Barrett. “Beginning with the vision of longtime Speculator resident Dean Lane. So many people helped make this fire tower project a reality.” According to Dean Lane’s son, Jonathan, the project is an important part of his family’s legacy. “I’m excited to see my father’s dream become a reality. He would be thrilled to see this tower in place.” Dean Lane obtained the Hooker Hill fire tower from Marty Podskoch, author of several books on fire towers, in the mid-90s; he hoped to restore and install the fire tower. Dean Lane has since passed away, but his son Jonathan hoped to make his father’s dream a reality. He hired David Vana, a professional fire tower restorer, to assess its feasibility. Unfortunately, there were not enough viable parts remaining from the Hooker Hill tower to move forward with the project. While disappointing, this setback solidified the Lane family’s commitment to the original vision and kickstarted the current project. In 2019, Mike Vilegi, owner of Excelsior fire towers, purchased the Makomis fire tower from Bruce Vowles, who found it at the home of George Barber where it was stored for over 30 years before being reconstructed in Sacandaga Park. The Makomis fire tower was originally a wooden structure, built near the town of North Hudson in 1911. In 1916, the wooden tower was replaced by a steel structure, making it one of the first 11 steel fire towers built in New York state. The fire tower was eventually closed by the NYS Department of Conservation in 1970. It was dismantled and removed from the mountain top in 1978. Barrett explained that an educational kiosk is also being constructed on site, to highlight the fire tower’s role in the region “This presents an opportunity to educate people about the history of Adirondack fire towers, which will hopefully draw tourists to the area,” she said. The ribbon cutting event will take place at the same time as the Speculator Farmers and Crafters Market, which is held from 2-5pm in the pavilion located adjacent to the fire tower. ### Contact:Sydney Aveson, communications coordinatorRegional Office of Sustainable Tourism518.523.2445sydney@roostadk.com

The Adirondack Sports Council and ORDA presented information about the upcoming World University Games on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Slideshows from the meeting can be found here.If you have any questions about the FISU event please direct them to info@lakeplacid2023.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IP8T-yVbgQ

The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is seeking feedback from residents and business owners within Essex and Hamilton counties, along with the villages of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake regarding their perception of how tourism affects the region. The survey will capture business owners’ and residents’ perceptions and opinions about a number of topics as they relate to tourism within the region. It seeks to uncover sentiment regarding tourism related activities and impacts that contribute positively to the local economy and social environment within the region, along with topics that may be a source of concern. It will be distributed to business owners and residents through email, through social media, and through local news reports. According to Layne Dowdall, data analyst at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, overall community sentiment is more easily gauged by a larger sample size. “We are encouraging those who receive the survey link to share it with family and friends in their local community.” The survey will uncover local perception regarding tourism’s role in many local issues including: housing, local employment, sustainable business practices, population, and the impact of marketing to outside regions. Many questions are structured to elicit an “agree” or “disagree” response to gauge overall opinion. The final questions are open-ended, allowing respondents to provide additional information, in their own words. The final survey question offers an opportunity to share important information that may not have been included within the survey. According to Jane Hooper, communications manager at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, destination management and marketing organizations (DMMOs), such as the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, work to balance the impacts of tourism with the local social and economic needs. “To fulfill our role as a DMMO, it is important that local concerns are clearly identified and understood,” she said. “This survey of residents and business owners will help us identify both positive and negative economic issues, societal and community issues, and overall perceptions and feelings about tourism’s impact on the region. The more we understand about these impacts, the more easily we can help make or suggest improvements and changes within communities.” The 30 question survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The last day to complete the survey is September 14, 2022. A link to the survey can be found here. Those who take part in the survey will be registered for a chance to win a VISA gift card. All entrants will be added to a drawing, taking place in September for three chances to win VISA gift cards valued at $100, $250 and $500 each. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, which includes the Lake Placid region, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York state. ## Contact:Jane Hooper, communications managerRegional Office of Sustainable Tourism518-621-3662518-578-6328 celljane@janeroostadk.com Take the Survey

Plans for Main Street during the 2023 Lake Placid World University Games A discussion with the Adirondack Sports Council. Please join ROOST for an in-person presentation by the Adirondack Sports Council on the tentative plans for Lake Placid's Main Street during the Lake Placid 2023 World University Games. Q&A to follow. When: Monday, October 3, 8:30 a.m. Where: Lake Placid Conference Center Board Room, 2nd floor. Please share to help spread the word. If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to Catherine Ericson: catherine@roostadk.com

Downtown Tupper Lake will be hosting a community celebration, dubbed the “Junction Function,” at the Tupper Lake Train Station on Sunday, October 16 from 1 - 3 p.m. The free community event features local businesses, vendors, attractions, live music and artists. Junction Function has been organized by the community of Tupper Lake, in partnership with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), to showcase Tupper Lake’s downtown area, businesses and local attractions. The event also coincides with the arrival of the first passenger train at the Tupper Lake Train Station in more than 40 years. Community members and visitors are invited to the free event where they can welcome the train to Tupper Lake, take part in the festivities, learn more about upcoming regional events and area attractions and learn more about development plans for downtown Tupper Lake. Among the many organizations participating in Junction Function include The Wild Center, Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, ROOST, and Adirondack Rail Trail Association (ARTA). 2023 Lake Placid FISU World University Games representatives will also take part in the event and Tupper Arts will present a pop-up Art Show featuring works from the recent Tupper Lake Plein Air Festival. The event will feature live music by Josh Weise; and local craft brewery, Raquette River Brewing, will be offering tastings. Adirondack Mac, the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games mascot and Ollie, The Wild Center otter mascot, will be on-hand to welcome attendees. Games, prizes and giveaways will round out the family-friendly event. One highlight of the event will be the arrival of the first passenger train since 1981. Adirondack Railroad is making its inaugural journey along a scenic route through the Adirondacks from Utica to Tupper Lake. The 11-hour round-trip includes a one-and-a-half-hour stop in Tupper Lake beginning around 1:30 p.m. As passengers disembark they will be met with the local celebration where they can become acquainted with the community and its attractions, meet business and elected leaders, learn about future developments, and visit downtown businesses. ROOST has created a map of the downtown Tupper Lake so that train passengers and visitors to the community can explore the area during their visit. The map indicates local businesses and restaurants that are a short walk from the train station. Some of the downtown businesses have adjusted their hours of operation to coincide with the event and visitors and local residents are encouraged to visit the downtown area before and after the festival. Community members and those who travel to Tupper Lake for the event will also have the opportunity to board and explore the train while it is at the station. According to Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism’s Tupper Lake Regional Manager, Katie Lalonde, Junction Function is an opportunity for the community of Tupper Lake to celebrate all that the village has to offer, along with sharing information about its ongoing revitalization. “Between the village’s recent submission of a NY Forward Grant for the downtown area, the revival of train service, construction of the highly anticipated Adirondack Rail Trail, coupled with the area’s thriving businesses, attractions and events, Tupper Lake is truly at the junction of a really exciting time.” In September, the village applied to the NY Forward program to gain support for 18 transformative projects in its downtown area, positioning it as a vibrant connector of community and business at the junction of the Adirondack Rail Trail and the scenic rail line. NY Forward was established to support and encourage revitalization of small and rural communities, especially villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. Tickets are still available for the Adirondack Railroad’s High Peaks Limited inaugural journey. Those interested should visit Adirondack Railroad for information and pricing. Regular trips from Utica to Tupper Lake will begin in 2023. Businesses and organizations that wish to take part in the Junction Function event should visit the Tupper Lake website to sign up. About The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Essex and Hamilton Counties, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York state. ## Contact:Jane Hooper, communications managerRegional Office of Sustainable Tourism518-621-3662518-578-6328 (cell)jane@roostadk.com