Attracting & Retaining Youth is Focus of 2nd Annual Adirondack Diversity Symposium NEWCOMB, N.Y. -- Most news stories about economic trends in the Adirondack Park cite surveys showing that the population is getting older and fewer. The Adirondack Diversity Advisory Council believes it can help to reverse this trend by discovering how the park’s businesses, institutions and communities can be more welcoming to a broader range of customers, clients, students and residents. Making the Adirondack Park more attractive to youth of all backgrounds and preferences will be the focus of the Second Annual Towards a More Diverse Adirondacks Symposium, which is sponsored by the Adirondack Diversity Advisory Council (ADAC) on Saturday, August 15, at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Newcomb. More information/register for the symposium: www.esf.edu/nfi/diversity/symposium.htm “This is our second annual workshop designed for any person, business or organization seeking to bring new visitors, residents and investors home to the Adirondacks,” said ADAC Coordinator Peter Nelson. “Participants will learn how to identify and remove the barriers that can drive away business and opportunity, and become more appealing to all.” Organizers hope to share lessons in what motivates some of our young people to remain here to seek employment and start businesses, while others take their talents elsewhere. “I think we are offering the opportunity to do well by doing good,” said Nelson. “You can change someone’s life forever by making them feel at home in the Adirondacks. Think of how the peace, beauty, wildlife and people of Adirondacks have enriched your own life. Imagine what you would be missing if you never came here. Better yet, by offering a warm welcome to someone who never felt welcome before, you will make new connections that benefit your life, your business and your community for years to come.” At the one-day symposium, high school and college students, civil rights leaders, community activists, social scientists and organizations will get together on the SUNY ESF campus in Newcomb to talk about the ways to broaden diversity in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender-identity among residents and visitors to the largest park in the contiguous United States. Discussion points will include questions such as how millenials view diversity, their needs and aspirations, what their experiences in the Park have been, or why they have not experienced the park, and how the park can be more welcoming to all youth. ADAC affiliate organizations include: the Adirondack Almanack, Adirondack Council, Adirondack Common Ground Alliance, Adirondack Foundation, Adirondack Futures, the The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), Adirondack Park Institute, the Adirondack Research Consortium, the Central Adirondack Partnership (CAP-21), Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce, John Brown Lives!, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) Northern Forest Institute, Paul Smith’s College, Adirondack Wild, Friends of the Forest Preserve, and The Wild Center. The ADAC was formed as an outcome of the first diversity symposium Towards a More Diverse Adirondacks in Newcomb in August 2014. For more information: Pete Nelson Coordinator Keene, NY 12942 AdirondackDAC@gmail.com

If you see Jess Collier next week, give her a high five. Jess, who is the communications manager for ROOST, has been quite busy planning for and welcoming a group of bloggers for a week-long tour of New York’s North Country. Playing at the Wild Center! The group consists of one representative from the UK, three from Canada and 4 from various locations in the U.S., and all 8 are online influencers with a variety of specialties - primarily travel. Bloggers "tied" their hand at fly fishing in Wilmington. As most travel planning occurs online, and word of mouth is one of the most important ways that potential visitors’ decisions are influenced, ROOST has prioritized the development of relationships with online influencers and travel bloggers for many years now. We continue to host these types of storytellers as well as traditional media representatives for familiarization tours of the region. This tour, however, is a ROOST-led effort to promote the entire North Country Region of New York with the theme “Eat, Play, Love New York", and is being conducted in partnership with Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, St. Lawrence and Jefferson Counties in both the Adirondack and 1000 Islands Regions. The tour began August 9 and will conclude in the 1000 Islands region on Saturday, August 15, but we’ll continue to see blogs and social media activity related to the tour for weeks to come. Bloggers trying out a flight of Paradox Brewery beer and pretzels in Schroon Lake. The group will experience the food, drink, historic, natural and recreational assets of the region with stops in Plattsburgh, Peru, Schroon Lake, Ticonderoga, Lake Placid, Wilmington, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Long Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Canton, Potsdam and Alexandria Bay, Watertown and other stops in the 1000 Islands. Check it out! A website was developed to aggregate all social media activity utilizing the campaign hashtag #EatPlayLoveNY, and will display at the URL elpny.com for the duration of the campaign. You’ll see that they’ve enjoyed fly fishing, hiking, museums, wine tours, breweries, great hotels and more on their way to LOVING this part of New York! And Jess organized the logistics for all of it; so a high five is merited, I think! -Kim Rielly is the director of communications for ROOST - and glad she hired Jess. This project is supported by a grant awarded to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, administered by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism in coordination with Thousand Islands International Tourism Council, the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Inc., by New York State's Empire State Development and the I ♥ NY Division of Tourism under Governor Andrew Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

Assemblywoman’s occupancy tax legislation becomes law Assemblywoman Janet Duprey is pleased to announce that her legislation (A.6313) to strengthen Franklin County’s economic development was signed into law by Gov. Cuomo today. The legislation imposes a 5-percent motel and hotel tax for Franklin County that will generate essential revenue to help support and promote tourism within the county. “I’m thrilled that Franklin County will finally be given critical resources to compete with the rest of New York State,” said Duprey. “The occupancy tax will not only bolster economic development and tourism throughout the entire county, it will also help generate much-needed revenue and enhance marketing services through the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). I’m happy to support legislation that will give Franklin County the resources it needs and deserves to thrive economically and to provide tourists with a chance to see all that this beautiful county has to offer.” The legislation has garnered support from the North Country business community and several municipalities, including Garry Douglas, President of the North County Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, and Franklin County Legislature. “This is a major advance for the entire future economy of Franklin County,” said Douglas. “Following the model of Clinton and Essex Counties, the proceeds will be dedicated to tourism marketing and development, thereby sustaining and creating jobs, attracting new investment and benefiting every county resident through the generation of additional county sales taxes. Without this tool, Franklin County was being left at a competitive disadvantage, which is why the North Country Chamber and the REDC both identified passage of this legislation as a top priority this year. Our thanks to Governor Cuomo, Assemblywoman Duprey and Senator Little for getting it enacted, and to Franklin County, its Tourism Advisory Committee and our partner chambers in Malone, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake for all of their work toward this positive conclusion.” ###

TICONDEROGA — Adirondack Foundation has teamed up with PRIDE of Ticonderoga and the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce to host a capacity building seminar for nonprofits and community organizations. The seminar, “Collaborative Fundraising in a Small Community,” will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Sept. 18, at Inter-Lakes Health in Ticonderoga, NY. “From healthcare and economic development to arts, culture, recreation and more, nonprofits and community organizations deliver important services to in the Adirondack region,” said Cali Brooks, executive director of Adirondack Foundation. “We’re pleased to offer trainings like this to help these organizations become more effective and efficient than they already are.” Renowned nonprofit consultant and trainer Andy Robinson will lead the session, which focuses on effective fundraising in small communities. More information about Robinson can be found at www.andyrobinsononline.com. “Eighty percent of charitable funds come from individual donors, not foundations or corporations,” Robinson said. “In this seminar, we’ll learn to build a fundraising program that honors your mission, engages potential donors, and raises more money for the many organizations in your community.” Topics will include: Where money comes from: Building a diverse funding base Rural fundraising: Looking beyond the locals Addressing myths and misinformation about how fundraising works Shared fundraising strategies you can use with partner organizations Helping your board members become effective fundraisers “You'll leave with a dozen practical ideas you can implement immediately,” Robinson added. “This is an interactive workshop, so come prepared to participate.” The seminar costs $10 per person, which includes coffee, tea, snacks and other refreshments. To register, or for more information, please call the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce at (518) 585-6619 or email chamberinfo@ticonderogany.com. For more information about Adirondack Foundation, visit www.generousact.org. For more information about PRIDE of Ticonderoga visit www.prideofticonderoga.org. For more information on the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce visit www.ticonderogany.com.

LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid Hall of Fame Committee has named its nominees for induction to the Lake Placid Hall of Fame. The inductees for the 2015 class are James B. McKenna and Beverley Pratt Reid. The 2015 nominees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which can be found in the Conference Center at Lake Placid. The 32nd Annual Induction Banquet will be held, Nov. 7, 2015, at the Conference Center at Lake Placid and is scheduled to begin with a cash bar at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $38 and are now available at the Olympic Center box office through Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Lake Placid Hall of Fame began in 1983 and has inducted over 100 individuals, as well as the members of the 1948 U.S. Olympic four-man bobsled team and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. Permanent plaques commemorating each member are on display in the Conference Center at Lake Placid. James McKenna, who is the CEO of Lake Placid's Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, has had an extraordinary impact on the success of Lake Placid and the surrounding region. He has been instrumental in the nurturing of sports and local athletes through the Uihlein-Ironman Sports Fund of Lake Placid, providing financial support for competitive local young athletes with regional, national and international promise and nonprofit organizations that expose area youth to summer and winter sports. In addition, McKenna has served on many committees, and as a trustee for the Henry Uihlein II and Mildred A. Uihlein Foundation, he has helped countless individuals and organizations rise to the level of their dreams. Reid, who was born in Lake Placid in 1933, has always been, and continues to be, extremely proud of her heritage and the community of LakePlacid. She has dedicated her 83 years of life to her family, friends, and the community of Lake Placid through volunteer work with the Lake Placid Pee Wee Association (now known as LPYAA), Lake Placid Central School Alumni Association, Lake Placid Adirondack Church, Lake Placid/North Elba Historical Society, Lake Placid Beautification Inc., and the Lake Placid Public Library. To be considered for induction into the Lake Placid Hall of Fame, individuals should be past or current residents of the Olympic region or have some significant connection to the area. Carefully selected by Hall of Fame Committee members, all nominees must have made significant sports, cultural or civic contributions to the region, or their endeavors must have enhanced the historical heritage of the area. The 2015 Lake Placid Hall of Fame Committee is Ron Butler, Sue Cameron, Ben Cross, Alison Haas, Jack Irvin, Jack Laduke, Carol Nevulis, Howard Riley, and Carrie Wardlaw.