I am writing to defend the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce's decision to host the annual dinner at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort in Lake Placid this June.
I am bewildered by Mayor Rabideau's statement, published in this paper, suggesting that the venue be changed because the Golden Arrow is not located in Saranac Lake. The dinner is for the members of the Saranac Lake chamber. These members reside all over the area, from Lake Clear to Lake Placid. Membership is not exclusive to Saranac Lake businesses. Why would businesses outside Saranac Lake join our chamber, you ask? The answer is a simple one. We all face similar challenges as entrepreneurs in the Adirondacks. Working together to solve those issues and speaking with one voice is the most efficient way to find solutions. The better question to ask is, why are there businesses in Saranac Lake that are not members of the chamber? And why would Mayor Rabideau suggest that a place located in Saranac Lake that is not a member of the Saranac Lake chamber be a more appropriate locale for this dinner than the Golden Arrow, which has been a member of our chamber for more than a decade?
The alternate venues the mayor suggests are simply not viable options. The dinner requires seating for more than 100 with clear view of a large head table for speakers. None of the properties he mentioned that can provide good food and service have the necessary space, with the exception of the Red Fox, and it is not a chamber member, thus not an option. My business is a longstanding member, is offering a competitive price, has the necessary space, and after all this controversy, you can bet that the food is going to be outstanding (especially since our chef lives in Saranac Lake). The fact is, Lake Placid simply has more options, and if you hold your dinner in a new location and not always the same spot, maybe some new faces will attend. Pendragon holds fundraisers in Lake Placid, AMC in Keene Valley; we've all been to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake for some function or another. It's just fun to go someplace "different."
To share some personal information to those readers who may not know me, I grew up in Lake Placid, fell in love with a Saranac Lake native, Bill Madden III, got married and moved to Saranac Lake 25 years ago. Throughout that time I have always worked with my family in Lake Placid at the Golden Arrow, while Bill worked in Saranac Lake. One of our sons went to school in Lake Placid; the other is still in Saranac Lake High School. We all have friends in both communities, shop, donate, volunteer and pay property taxes in both towns. When we travel and people ask us where we are from, we say the Adirondacks.
From a business perspective as an hotelier, I see Lake Placid to be complementary to Saranac Lake and do not view the towns as being in competition with one another. If a local volunteer organization from either Saranac Lake or Lake Placid asks the Golden Arrow for a donation, they have never been turned down; we pride ourselves on giving locally. I send my visitors to Saranac Lake regularly to see things like the ice palace, Mount Pisgah, the civic center, Art Walks or to listen to music. I have a family reunion group coming this summer to research their great-grandmother's TB history. If a visitor has a good experience here, they'll come back and not go to Vermont or Cape Cod or Canada or the Catskills or to every other place in the world that is our real competition. With our limited marketing funds, there has to be a regional, coordinated effort to bring visitors to our area, which the Saranac Lake chamber board knows. We must all partner together if we are to stay on the tourism forefront. NO one benefits if we fight amongst ourselves. My business purchases from CED, Hulbert's, Sturdy, Munns', Saranac Inn Golf Club, Trudeau, Newman & Holmes, Casier and Fortune Studios, just to name a few. Why would the Golden Arrow be a lesser choice to host the dinner than any other business in our community? I am all about shopping locally, but according to the mayor, does that mean I have to limit my business purchases to Lake Placid and personal ones to Saranac Lake?
My father-in-law, Bill Madden Jr., whose business was just saluted by this same mayor as being one of the longest-running businesses in Saranac Lake, is about as "old school" as they get. (And anyone who knows him will attest to this; don't try to come inside with your cap still on.) Even he no longer sees Lake Placid as a competitor. Whatever rift Mayor Rabideau seems to think exists between our two towns is an outdated relic not relevant in today's global economy.
Jim Murnane, the owner of the Best Western here in Saranac Lake, has bridged the imaginary divide between our two towns by serving on the Lake Placid Visitors Bureau board of directors. The Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has a board member who will hopefully soon also be on the Lake Placid Visitors Bureau board as well. What a wonderful way to further cooperation and avoid duplication of efforts, a perfect example of how the two boards work together to complement each other's strengths.
I think it's great that the village of Saranac Lake is launching its business initiatives. The more efforts made working to bring economic prosperity to our area, the better. The mayor saw something that he thought was missing in the chamber's marketing efforts and proceeded to supplement with his own ideas - wonderful. But what is the purpose behind publicly criticizing the chamber's efforts in the process? Why cause animosity? How does that serve our communities? We all want the same thing (except maybe a big-box retailer), and that's achieved by working as a team. Enjoying dinner together in a new venue is the perfect place to start. Mayor Rabideau, please join us at the Golden Arrow on June 8. We'd love for you to see the results of our marketing efforts and the plans we have for the future. If we work together, only more good things will come to fruition.