KEESEVILLE — Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the nonprofit historic preservation organization for the region, has received a major grant to support the publication of its new book, "A Guide to Architecture in the Adirondacks." The $5,000 Local Heritage grant from the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership will help underwrite the publishing cost of the first book to document the architecture of the 12 counties in the Adirondack region. A significant portion of the area covered by the guide lies within the Lake Champlain watershed. "We are thrilled and very grateful to CVNHP for their generous support and confidence in this project," said Steven Engelhart, AARCH executive director. "The guide will be both a unique travel companion and a major contribution to the documented history of the Adirondacks. Residents, visitors, researchers, historians and travelers will find it a 'must-have' book to keep in their cars and on their bookshelves." "A Guide to Architecture in the Adirondacks" is written by Richard Longstreth, one of America's best-known architectural historians. His project to research, visit, document, and photograph hundreds of historic structures in more than 100 towns and hamlets in the Adirondacks took five years and nearly 10,000 miles of driving throughout the region. Longstreth is the director of the Historic Preservation program at George Washington University and the author of 11 previous books on architectural history. The book is expected to be available in June 2017 and is published by Adirondack Architectural Heritage with design and marketing support from Adirondack Life. Draft of book cover

Happy holidays from ROOST! This week's ROOST News is worth opening if only for the goofy photo of us: . And no, we don't mean this one. ROOST

Name? Angelita Nevo Where you live? Deerwood Hills, Lake Placid Where are you from? Nassau, NP, Bahamas How long have you worked at ROOST? 2 1/2 years Job title? Visitor Service Specialist Job duties? Serve as a liaison between our visitors and marketing partners. To ensure visitors are aware of all that we have to offer and that their stay is enjoyable. What do you like about working at ROOST? The team is constantly looking to improve the visitor experience and ways to promote the area to reach the widest audience. What's your favorite book and why? "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson MD - This book is a great reminder that, whether we are ready or not, change occurs! That it is our responsibility to take the initiative and work on our problems and that our attitude and the way we perceive change will affect our careers and lives. What are your three favorite things to do outside of work? I love cooking, gardening, and relaxing with a good book. Tell us about your pets and/or children. I have "fur" babies, two dogs and two cats. They have us trained, or as my husband would say, we are here to "serve and provide for them." Who is your hero and why? My Dad! He was a person of great integrity and wisdom. No matter what he was doing, he always had time to listen if I had a problem or wanted his advice. He was never too busy for his children.

One of the most powerful marketing tools ROOST has for communities and businesses across the North Country are our regional events calendars. Every one of our destination sites offers any public event the opportunity to have its very own page on the site. Any event that is local and open to the public can be submitted for an event listing. We will review and create a page that posts to the appropriate website's events page. Our events pages are some of the most trafficked on each of our sites. The events listing is also a quick and easy way to boost your event in Google searches for things to do in your region. Not only does an event listing help you get in front of thousands of travelers visiting our sites, it also makes it easier for us to incorporate your event into other marketing efforts. These listings are one place our photographer, videographer, bloggers, communications staff, and marketing staff monitor to help plan our marketing calendars. So mark your calendars to get event info up on our calendars! Here's a list of links for event submissions: Lake Placid (LakePlacid.com) Lake Champlain Region (LakeChamplainRegion.com) Saranac Lake (SaranacLake.com) Tupper Lake (TupperLake.com) Hamilton County (AdirondackExperience.com) Schroon Lake (SchroonLakeRegion.com) Franklin County/Malone (VisitMalone.com)

ROOST statement following the Governor’s address at the Plattsburgh International Airport on Jan. 23: “Once again, the Governor has identified an issue that affects the economy of the region, and he’s addressing it head-on. Specifically, he has recognized that updating the on-mountain amenities at Gore and Whiteface will help our destinations to meet, and hopefully exceed our Northeast competition,” said James McKenna, president of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. “Given the unpredictable weather patterns, the Governor’s initiative on the zipline and coaster attractions will lead to a stronger year-round revenue stream for ORDA, and help support all of the venues under their management,” continued McKenna. “More importantly, the resulting increased activity at Whiteface can drive private investment in the surrounding resort communities, especially in the hamlet of Wilmington.” The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) applauds the initiatives that Governor Cuomo identified in his 2017 State of the State on Jan. 12. During his presentation on Wednesday, the Governor announced a number of program proposals, including several that will have a meaningful impact on the Adirondack North Country. Plattsburgh International Airport The North Country region has long been dependent on travelers who drive here from northeast markets. The increased investment and expansion of the Plattsburgh International Airport will make travel easier and more convenient for those from those feeder markets, and there will be better potential for direct flights from U.S. hubs. This, in addition to ongoing investment and improvements at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Harrietstown will play a key role in increasing charter, private jet, and consumer air traffic to the region. “Successful airports lead to successful economies. Bravo, Governor,” said James McKenna, president of ROOST. Greenway Tourism The Governor’s proposed 750-mile paved bike trail network will link Manhattan and western New York to the Lake Champlain corridor. “This proposed trail will expose even more people to the Lake Champlain region, which is some of the most beautiful landscape in the entire State,” said McKenna. North Hudson Following the completion of the Finch Pruyn land purchase, the Governor’s proposal for the resurrection of the former Frontier Town property in North Hudson as a Gateway to the Adirondacks is well-timed. “The Gateway project will serve as an anchor and allow for growth in and around the 5 Towns that comprise the Upper Hudson Recreation Hub,” added McKenna. “This will provide first-time visitors with a terrific jumping off point to explore some of the most scenic wilderness in the region, and increase travel throughout the entire Adirondack North Country region.” Ride Sharing Many Adirondack North Country communities lack transportation linkages that most of today’s travelers take for granted. “Ride sharing services such as Lyft and Uber are widely accepted and utilized modes of transportation in many areas of the world,” said McKenna. “The addition of ride sharing options will provide a much-needed service for both residents and travelers to our region, facilitating travel within and between the Adirondacks’ rural communities.” Sustained tourism growth In 2016, despite a slow weather-related start, the region has rebounded as a result of investment in warm-weather marketing programs. According to Smith Travel Report, lodging revenue was down 7 percent from January through March as compared to the same period in 2015. At the end of November, lodging revenue is now showing a 4.1 percent increase in revenue over 2015. We have experienced ongoing sustained and continued growth: 2014 was up 5.2 percent over 2013; 2015 was up 4.6 percent over 2014; and through November 2016, we were up 4.1 percent over the same time period in 2015. “The Governor’s leadership and new programs will be a game changer here in the Adirondacks,” said McKenna. “His continued promotion of tourism as an economic driver and increased investment through programs such as I Love New York and Market New York, have been a catalyst for significantly increased traveler activity throughout the region.” ### ROOST is the accredited destination marketing organization (DMO) responsible for promoting Essex County, Franklin County, Hamilton County, the Town of North Elba, the Town and Village of Tupper Lake, Harrietstown, Lake Placid, Piercefield, and Saranac Lake, New York to the traveling public. roostadk.com